Mental Health in Careers
Introduction
There is a question in the professional community that doesn’t get enough attention: Who takes care of the people who are responsible for caring for everyone else?
Nurses, veterinarians, firefighters, and social workers are professionals whom most people count on during our crises. The courage that it takes to show up consistently for others is often underestimated, and the emotional weight of caring for others’ trauma, grief, or pain doesn't just disappear when a shift ends. The mental health toll that accumulates over time is well documented, yet it remains consistently and largely undermined. While these particular roles require resilience and the ability to face various stressful situations in the workplace, we should also recognize that these professionals are also human and experience disproportionate levels of mental health struggles.
Burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD are not rare exceptions in these fields. These are structural conditions, and no individual work ethic or level of resilience can fully carry the weight of these challenges alone. This blog looks at four of those careers, what the research actually says, and what better support could start to look like.
Nursing
Nurses play critical roles in the healthcare system as the backbone of patient care, and many are on the front lines of hospitals, delivering 80% of primary patient care while carrying hidden responsibilities that serve not only their patients but also the hospital, their communities, and their peers. Over the years, especially after the pandemic, nursing shortages have been steadily increasing due to a number of reasons that mainly point to the lack of mental health support seemingly being received from individuals in this profession. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects a shortage of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030, and nurses are a large part of that shortage.
Berlin et al. explained that many organizations are aware of the mental health toll on their workers and have addressed these challenges, but the American Nurses Foundation and McKinsey survey noted that more actions are needed.
In terms of what specific issues nurses are facing today, they include high job demands, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Alansari et al. provide an in-depth analysis of the demographics and groups facing these challenges. In their survey, 44.9% of the nurses reported experiencing some degree of mental exhaustion, and 44.5% reported some degree of physical exhaustion. The results indicated that nurses aged 31 to 40 are more vulnerable to anxiety, which can lead to burnout. Under these conditions, the efficiency and quality of healthcare provided by nurses may be significantly affected, and severe burnout from high demands may hinder their ability to provide care altogether and increase the likelihood of leaving the profession. Alansari mentioned that 31.5% of the 50,000 registered nurses in the U.S. have left their jobs due to burnout. Another issue that people are facing is the stigma behind mental health. 49% of the 4719 have said they don’t need mental-health support, and 23% of them said they feel like they can take care of their mental health on their own, and another 29% of the nurses mentioned they don’t have time to get help.
Here are some strategies the authors have suggested to help nurses avoid burnout. Having a mental health training protocol that focuses on helping nurses manage burnout will help prevent future burnout. Having access to counseling or peer support programs helps people talk about what they are facing. Having a system that tracks staffing trends, migration, and burnout to check in on those who may be overworked or unwell, to encourage the policy to make the right decisions for them. When these symptoms occur, they need access to these resources, need to know they are available, and feel comfortable accessing them within their department (breaking the stigma).
Vet
Another profession at higher risk for developing mental health conditions is veterinarians. Veterinarians are known to work in highly stressful environments, often leading to burnout. This burnout is both widespread and deeply rooted in workplace structures rather than individual weakness.
After a few career changes, the profession has shifted toward more work, including greater commercialization, increased specialization, and higher client expectations (Podpecan et al., 2025). Because of these high expectations, there’s an increase in stress and negative affect on the mental health of veterinarians. These vets are working with more than 30 patients daily, having work-life imbalance, and having to make hard decisions for their furry friends that owners may disagree with (Hernadez-Esteve, 2024). They are more prone to having their self-compassion diminished, an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Many vets also rely on clients for income, and after the pandemic, many clients didn’t visit vets. Overall, these individual experiences are closely tied to structural conditions within the field, such as high workloads, staff shortages, poor management, negative workplace culture, and low pay.
One in five respondents within Hernadez-Esteve et al., who focused on burnout among veterinarians, reported being diagnosed with anxiety or depression, with a similar portion reporting using benzodiazepine, which is a medicine that is usually prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety. Gender differences were also observed. In particular, many women in this field were less likely to report self-compassion. This lower self-compassion is usually associated with higher exhaustion and cynicism. Because women and younger veterinarians are vulnerable, many face mental health consequences. Under Merck studies, they have reported that 70-75% of vets are facing moderate to severe symptoms of burnout, which they pointed out are mostly younger women.
Although many veterinarians are facing these challenges, there are several individuals who are left untreated and unsupported, which shows they don’t have comprehensive mental health support (Hernadez-Esteve, 2024). Another scary factor is that these stress factors have contributed to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed ones within the profession.
This calls for changes in improving leadership and workplace culture rather than simply increasing staff. Working towards industry-wide efforts that focus on retention, interventions, and reform rather than one-size-fits-all solutions is the needed solution for those in the veterinary field. Podpecan et al. provide detailed guidance on the steps that can be taken. Satisfaction with work is one of the most important ways to prevent burnout, but having a supportive family at home during hard times has been a huge help, as have positive social relationships. This next solution ties into the earlier one, which has a good balance between work and personal lives. People should not force themselves to work if they are already feeling tired. Also, having a supportive system that includes counseling services, stress management workshops, support groups, or open discussions in the office. There should be training in emotional regulation and coping skills during vet school and throughout careers afterward to help vets deal with both animals and their own stress, because, at the end of the day, dealing with both is exhausting. Lastly, more vet programs should include mentor programs. Having someone to help you emotionally and physically is super helpful and important in preventing burnout.
Fire Department/EMS
Imagine a profession in which every call you answer could range from low-risk cooking mishaps to severe wildfires. Firefighters serve as these high-risk professionals. Due to regular exposure to unpredictable and potentially life-threatening situations, firefighters face high levels of stress and mental health issues throughout their careers. Prolonged exposure to stressors can contribute to worsened mental health conditions over time.
Firefighters face common issues such as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), anxiety and depression, sleep disturbances, and emotional exhaustion (burnout), which could put them at higher risk for increased substance abuse or suicidal ideations, as well as physical effects such as weakened immune response.
One study highlights how firefighters’ mental health affects both their psychological and physical well-being. Key findings from Mental Health and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Firefighters: An Integrated Analysis from an Action Research Study conducted by Oliveira et al. within a sample of firefighters after 2017 wildfires, approximately 9 percent showed PTSD symptoms, and 14 percent showed general psychopathy. The firefighters also experienced an average of about 28 traumatic events. Insights from this study show that firefighters’ PTSD is linked more to a number of traumatic experiences and perceived severity of events, not just one major disaster.
Cumulative trauma is the biggest risk factor for their mental health. Even “routine” calls can build up over time. This leads to increased stress sensitivity, emotional strain, and long-term psychological effects, meaning daily exposure can be just as damaging as major disasters. Mental health struggles can impair decision-making on the job and reaction time in emergencies, which can lead to burnout, early retirement, and reduced quality of life.
Early intervention, mental health screenings, and access to therapy or support systems are critical. Firefighters may also find support through protective factors such as social support, resilience training, and workplace management. This mental health support should be ongoing, not just after major incidents. We should normalize mental health conversations in high-risk careers and encourage seeking help and supporting first responders. Supporting those who protect us starts with recognizing the challenges they face that go unacknowledged.
Social Workers
Individuals who pursue a career in social work are known to provide others with help to overcome their personal challenges, such as poverty, addiction, substance abuse, and illness. However, what the public fails to realize is the overall stress and notoriety the field has for creating burnout amongst its workers. Although most find the job rewarding, many have stated that it has led them to find completing daily tasks cumbersome and near-impossible, without complaint. Social workers are prone to experiencing high emotional and psychological distress, including vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, or job burnout (Wu and Lu, 2025). Child welfare caseworkers, hospice social workers, and social workers in community settings are more prone to developing compassion fatigue, which can lead to hopelessness, deep physical and emotional exhaustion, disconnection from others, and effects on their personal and professional well-being. Compared to other occupational groups, social workers are recognized as having higher turnover rates, negative work attitudes, and higher absenteeism.
Michelle Ratcliff (2024) also argued that social workers are among the hardest workers because they must provide social services with compassion and empathy while facing exhaustion and burnout. Another factor that these social workers face is the need to keep going. They feel it is their mission to provide services and keep going despite a few stress factors and burnout at their doorstep. There’s a high demand for social services, which leaves social workers feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and emotionally fatigued.
Interestingly, many social workers chose social services and helped others because of concerns and problems they faced in their own families, which can add another layer of stress. There’s also evidence that many social workers are neglecting their self-care, which can lead to burnout more quickly. Although the mental health of patients around the world is improved on a daily basis thanks to the countless hours and efforts social workers put in, the negative strain on the workers themselves should not go unnoticed.
Here are some factors that have helped social workers during stressful times. One factor that has helped with mental health challenges and burnout for social workers is practicing mindfulness. This skill has helped deepen groundedness, presence, and connection with others and the world. Yoga has also helped reduce stress, alleviate physiological disorders and conditions, and prevent burnout (Ratcliff, 2024). Having a work balance and strong family support has helped several people. Also, taking a step back and a small break when feeling exhausted will help prevent burnout from coming sooner.
Conclusion
Nursing, veterinary medicine, firefighting, and social work are different in obvious ways, but they share a common thread. Their work is built around interpersonal connection, the stakes are high, and the systems surrounding these professionals often fail to match the demands placed on them. Mental health struggles in these fields aren't signs of weakness or poor fit. They're predictable outcomes of structural conditions driven by high demands, insufficient support, and a cultural expectation to keep going regardless.
Awareness is a start, but it isn't enough on its own. Understanding that burnout in these fields isn't a personal failing matters. Advocating for workplace policies that actually protect mental health matters. So does pushing back on the cultural expectation that people in caregiving roles should simply absorb whatever the job asks of them. These professionals chose their careers in service to others. The least we can do is make sure that choice doesn't cost them their own well-being.
Sources
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