It’s not over yet: Improving the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers and their families through co-designed intervention

The demands of healthcare roles can place an immense burden on healthcare workers (HCWs), affecting their mental health and wellbeing, which can often extend to their families. Partners and children can also experience unique stresses related to the challenges of healthcare work and its impact on family life.

Our team of Clinical Psychologists and mental health researchers at Deakin University are leading a two-year project seeking to address these challenges by identifying the mental health and family support needs of HCWs and their families, and co-designing a tailored intervention that improves their overall wellbeing. Our aim is to help prevent mental health decline, reduce burnout, and improve retention in the healthcare workforce through a family-centred intervention.

Previous findings from our research have shown that HCWs and their families are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges, including burnout, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and disrupted family dynamics. Despite the significant impacts of the pandemic, there is a lack of targeted interventions designed to support both healthcare workers and their families. This project aims to fill these gaps by identifying their unique support needs and developing a tailored intervention to improve their overall mental health and wellbeing.

This work is supported by the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) (Grant number: MRF2035279).