Mental Health Support for Healthcare Workers

For immediate mental health crisis support or if you or anyone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000

Healthcare professionals face a unique combination of clinical, emotional, and workplace pressures. Alongside managing complex patient care and important clinical decisions, they are frequently exposed to trauma, grief, and distress. 

High patient demand, staffing challenges, administrative requirements, and emotionally demanding interactions can place considerable strain on the wellbeing of healthcare workers. 

Over time and without appropriate support, these cumulative pressures may lead to increased stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health concerns.

General Practitioners, Registrars and Training Doctors

DRS4DRS provides mental health and wellbeing support 24/7, 365 days a year and is free and confidential. Doctors and medical students can access support from the network of Doctors’ Health Services across Australia. To access support call 1300 374 377 or to view mental health resources, please visit the DRS4DRS website.

Doctors Health in Queensland provides a no cost, independent, confidential, colleague-to-colleague support service to assist doctors and medical students. For support, call 07 3833 4352 or for more information, please visit the website.

Bush Support Line 1800 805 391 offers free 24/7, 365-day telephone support and online resources to Australia’s rural and remote health practitioners. 

Nurses & Midwives

Nurse & Midwife Support and Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia both offer peer counselling and online well-being and mental health resources.

Visit the Nurse & Midwife Support website or call the peer support helpline 1800 667 877 (avaialble 24/7). The website offers wellbeing resources including burnout and self-assessment. 

View the resources on the Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia website or for peer support counselling call 1800 001 060 (available 9-5 local time).

Practice Owners and Healthcare Workers

Beyond Blue NewAccess offers small business owners free, confidential mental health support to better manage stress, worry and overwhelm. Visit the website or call 03 9250 8305 for more information.

Hand-n-Hand Peer Support provides free, confidential and independent peer support for all health professionals, care staff and non-clinical staff in Australia. The service is free, confidential, and does not involve any medical or psychiatric treatment. Peer support facilitators all have training in peer support or mental health. You can choose from 1-on-1 peer support, or to join a peer support group with others from a similar field/level of training. Support is available for anyone in the healthcare sector, including studens and non-clinical staff. To receive support visit the website.

If you manage or work in a private general practice, your clinic may be registered with a private corporate Employee Assistance Program network. Talk to your employer about available support options. 

Please find below services that can provide urgent mental health support.

Lifeline provides a 24/7 free telephone line 13 11 14, text and online crisis support for anyone experiencing distress or crisis 

Suicide Call Back Service offers a free, 24/7, telephone line 1300 659 467 and online counselling services for people affected by suicide.

Beyond Blue offers a free, 24/7, telephone line 1300 224 636 and online counselling services for people affected by suicide.