Ireland: Promoting the health and well-being of the health and care workforce

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely affected the mental health and well-being of populations worldwide. Healthcare workers, especially professionals on the frontline and nurses, showed many mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Moreover, workers reported having worse mental health disorders after COVID-19 started. Several reviews suggested COVID-19 increased the risk of poor mental well-being. This case study describes the experience of Ireland to provide support to health workers, harnessing existing workplace and well-being tools and infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case study describes the supports leveraged, early achievements, future steps and lessons learned for other countries.