6 October 2026
11H00 – 12H00 – VIRTUAL EVENT (Teams)
DR THOMAS ZAPATA
Medical Doctor specialized in Family Medicine. Head of the Health Workforce and Health Services Unit, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen. International expert in health systems and workforce development with over 17 years of experience supporting health policy and system strengthening across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Europe’s health and care workforce is facing a growing mental health crisis, driven by demanding working conditions, staff shortages and sustained pressure on health systems.
This presentation will highlight findings from the WHO/Europe Mental Health of Nurses and Doctors (MeND) survey, conducted across the 27 European Union countries, Iceland and Norway.
Based on more than 90,000 valid responses, the survey found that approximately one in three doctors and nurses reported symptoms of depression, one in four reported anxiety, and one in ten experienced suicidal thoughts. Younger health professionals were particularly affected.
The presentation will examine the workplace factors associated with poor mental health and discuss the implications for workforce retention, patient safety and health-system resilience.
It will conclude by outlining policy actions needed to improve working conditions, strengthen organizational support and protect the well-being of those who care for Europe’s populations.
Language: English
The PowerPoint presentation is available here.
The video recording of the conference is available below.
