Washington, D.C., 15 October 2026 (PAHO)-The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a regional study in 17 countries across the Americas to assess the mental health, well-being, and working conditions of nursing and medical professionals. The study, titled "Addressing mental health challenges among nursing and medical professionals in the Region of the Americas," aims to generate evidence to inform policies and actions to protect the mental health of health workers and improve their working conditions across the Region.
The survey will remain open until October 30, 2026, and is intended for nursing and medical professionals currently providing direct clinical or patient care in participating countries.
The study is conducted in Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
PAHO conducts this regional study using an adapted version of the Mental Health of Nurses and Doctors (MeND) questionnaire, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and administered in 27 European Union countries, Iceland, and Norway.
The study will provide a better understanding of work-related factors associated with the mental health and well-being of nursing and medical professionals, identify risk and protective factors in their working environments, and generate comparable data across participating countries.
The findings will help inform policies, programs, and interventions aimed at protecting mental health and improving the working conditions of health workers, in line with PAHO's Policy on the Health Workforce 2030.
Participation in the study
The survey is open to licensed nursing and medical professionals currently providing direct clinical or patient care in any of the 17 participating countries.
Participation involves completing an online questionnaire on working conditions, well-being, and mental health, including aspects related to anxiety, depression, substance use, and workplace factors.
Survey details:
- Format: Online and self-administered.
- Estimated completion time: 20–25 minutes.
- Available languages: Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
- Participation: Voluntary and anonymous.
- Deadline: October 30, 2026.
The study protocol was approved by the PAHO Ethics Review Committee (PAHOERC, Ref. No. PAHOERC.0971.1). No personal identifiable information is collected, and IP addresses are not recorded. Participants must complete the online informed consent process before accessing the questionnaire.
Take the survey here.
The study is coordinated by PAHO's Health Workforce Unit, in collaboration with the Mental Health and Substance Use Unit.
