Is mental health work psychologically hazardous for staff? A critical review of the literature

Abstract

Recent studies have highlighted the poor mental health of healthcare workers. This paper hypothesises that mental health staff in particular, face risks to their mental health. The relevant literature is reviewed to investigate this, and explores whether patient contact or other work factors may predict poor staff mental health. The review reveals that despite methodological flaws in the existing research, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that mental health work may be psychologically hazardous for staff. Contributing factors are likely to include intensive contact with severely ill patients, low professional status, organisational change and task characteristics such as inadequate feedback, uncertainty about role and low support. Future research should aim to clarify mechanisms by which psychiatric work may affect staff. A more detailed understanding could allow jobs to be designed in such a way that risks to staff mental health are minimised. the theoretical