Health workers are experiencing ever-increasing levels of harassment and burnout in the wake of the pandemic, a new federal survey has found. Reports of harassment on the job more than doubled during the pandemic years, and nearly half of health care workers often experience feelings of burnout, according to survey results published Oct. 24 in a new Vital Signs report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey is the first to describe in detail the mental health crisis among health care workers that first developed during the pandemic, federal officials said. “To label our current and longstanding challenge a crisis is an understatement,” said study senior author Dr. Casey Chosewood, director of the Office for Total Worker Health at the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). “Many of our nation’s health care systems are at their breaking point,” Chosewood continued. “Staffing crises, lack of supportive leadership, long hours of work, and excessive demands and inflexibility in our nation’s health systems all must be addressed. We’re calling on employers to take this information to heart and take immediate preventive action.” The findings came from a survey on workplace quality that’s conducted on a regular basis by NIOSH. More than 13% of health workers said they had been harassed at work in 2022, compared with 6% in 2018 — before…  read on >  read on >

Older adults who live in distressed or disadvantaged communities are less likely to attend cardiac rehabilitation after common heart procedures, new research shows. The study looked at Medicare beneficiaries’ attendance at these medically supervised exercise and education programs after coronary revascularization between 2016 and 2018. Coronary revascularization includes procedures to improve blood flow to the heart, and can involve bypass surgery or receiving a stent to keep arteries open, according to the American College of Cardiology. The authors identified disadvantaged communities using a tool called the Distressed Community Index. It analyzes economic well-being and social determinants of health, such as educational disparities and poverty rate. In all, only 26% of patients from distressed communities use cardiac rehab, the research showed. That compared to 46% of patients from wealthier areas. No matter where they lived, any patient who attended cardiac rehab had a reduced risk of premature death, hospitalization and heart attack, the study found. “Addressing barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation in distressed communities may improve outcomes for these patients and reduce longstanding disparities in such outcomes,” said first author Michael Thompson, an assistant professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School. “While some individuals who face geographic barriers to participation may benefit from transportation services or virtual options for cardiac rehab, there is a critical need to address socioeconomic barriers that…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to ban a cancer-causing chemical commonly used as a furniture cleaner and degreaser. The ban would prohibit most uses of trichloroethylene (TCE) within one year. Limited remaining commercial and industrial uses would be phased out over a longer period and would require stringent worker protections. “Today, EPA is taking a vital step in our efforts to advance President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot and protect people from cancer and other serious health risks,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “The science is loud and clear on TCE. It is a dangerous toxic chemical and proposing to ban it will protect families, workers, and communities,” McCabe said in an agency news release. In addition to liver and kidney cancer, health risks associated with the toxin include disruption of the nervous and reproductive systems, and damage to fetal development, the EPA said. TCE is used in cleaning and furniture care products, degreasers, brake cleaners, and tire repair sealants. The EPA says safer alternatives exist. The proposal was made under the Toxic Substances Control Act. It would ban manufacturing, processing and distributing TCE for any use. “TCE has left a toxic legacy in communities across America. Today, EPA is taking a major step to protect people from exposure to this cancer-causing chemical,” said Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety…  read on >  read on >

Many college kids are depressed and anxious, especially when they are a minority on campus or the first in their family to go to a university, a new study finds. These feelings may be particularly pronounced among minorities attending mostly white colleges, the researchers reported. In that setting, more than half of Black and Hispanic students reported feelings of mild depression and 17% more said they were moderately to severely depressed. “College life has its own sets of challenges — during COVID there were high rates of depression and anxiety suggesting that social support is an important part of college life,” said lead researcher Janani Thapa. She is an associate professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Public Health in Athens. “We must continue efforts on belonging, to make each and every student feel at home,” Thapa added. Interestingly, the researchers found that students at mostly white universities reported similar anxiety levels, regardless of race, with more than 3 in 5 students saying they experienced mild to severe anxiety levels. At historically Black colleges, students who weren’t Black also experienced higher rates of anxiety and depression. For the study, Thapa and her colleagues collected data on more than 3,000 students during the pandemic who answered questions about feelings of hopelessness, sleep problems and lack of energy. Thapa’s team found that students who were the…  read on >  read on >