Mental health among medical professionals on the front lines of COVID-19

It’s rarely easy to be a doctor. Hours are long. Depression is high. Working conditions are harsh. And patients might die, despite the best of care.

Now add in a global pandemic. It’s no surprise that health care professionals in China recently reported higher-than-normal rates of anxiety, depression, insomnia and psychological distress. Doctors and nurses in America are being asked to quarantine themselves from loved ones, treat waves of seriously ill patients without proper equipment, and in many cases comfort family who couldn’t be with their loved ones when they died.

Are we prepared to treat the mental health of our health care workers? Wednesday on MPR News with Kerri Miller, we talked with a psychologist and a physician. And we want to hear from you. If you are a doctor, nurse or other medical professional: What do we need to know about what you're doing? And what would make a significant difference for next time? Share your thoughts below.

Guests:

• Dr. Talee Vang, behavioral health psychologist at Hennepin Healthcare

• Dr. Ishani Ganguli, internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a health policy researcher and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School

Medical providers: Tell us how you’re doing