During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed how public health workers led the frontline community response. Their work being crucial, their contributions were often overlooked, and their professional and personal needs neglected. In our new paper, From Heroes to Zeroes: The Unraveling Support for Public Health in COVID Pandemic-Era Connecticut, we present results from our study documenting the emotional and professional challenges faced by the public health workforce.

Our study recruited 132 Connecticut public health workers and surveyed and interviewed them in focus groups in 2021 and 2022. We found that, despite managing long hours, enduring aggression from the public, and carrying out their duties amongst ever-changing policies, staff provided essential services without mental health support, resources, or adequate appreciation. Contrary to frontline healthcare workers, public health staff were excluded from programs like “Hero Pay”; as such, many perceived that they were not valued in COVID-19 response, despite their hard work.

Our Findings

From our research, we discovered three issues that characterized Connecticut’s public health workforce experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Emotional and mental distress: The staff endured high levels of burnout, anxiety, and compassion fatigue. Individuals showed post-traumatic stress symptoms due to the emotional toll of enforcing pandemic mandates (eg, social distancing, witnessing death, and enduring public backlash).
2. Funding and resource gaps: Staff expressed concern about inconsistent funding, often reliant on short-term grants. Additionally, many departments could not retain adequate staffing, translating to increased workload for remaining employees, and exacerbating burnout.
3. Lack of credit: Public health workers often sensed that their efforts were unnoticed or even resented, by both the public and legislators. The exclusion from financial rewards and recognition opportunities were a common complaint in the focus groups.

Mental Health and Work Wellness

We learned that mental health remains a pressing and neglected area of focus in the public health workforce. To address this, some participants recommended counseling, stress management, and having more time off to recuperate from burnout. Participants noted, however, the workload in most departments rendered it difficult to actually utilize paid time off benefits.

In our focus groups, we led participants through guided meditation and mindfulness practice, which were well received. These small-scale interventions demonstrated how even rudimentary wellness efforts can reduce stress and leave participants feeling more connected and balanced. Adopting these practices as a part of daily workplace culture could be a game-changer for resilience in future public health professionals.

Recommendations for the Future

Results from Connecticut’s public health workers’ COVID-19 experience demonstrate the workforce’s strengths and weaknesses. At the beginning of the pandemic, workers experienced burnout, anxiety, and fear brought about by sudden and excessive workloads. As cases declined, emotions transitioned to anger and dismay, driven by incessant criticisms against the profession and lack of recognition of their sacrifices. Despite this, the workforce remains committed to protecting the health of the public.

To address these shortfalls for future pandemics, we recommend greater support mechanisms for public health workers. This would include stress management training to help workers recognize vicarious trauma and post-traumatic stress, setting healthy boundaries, and establishing management techniques for work-related stress. We further recommend introducing meditation and mindfulness programs in health departments and professional societies.

Occupational health initiatives must work towards destigmatizing mental health treatment within the labor force. Creating a culture that prioritizes mental health can help maintain a healthy workforce. Increased communication and cooperation among health departments—through regional workshops or peer-to-peer learning—may enhance grant expenditure and resources and reduce workload pressure.

We also recommend that state and local health agencies, and public health organizations, promote specialized workshops on pandemic response and emergency preparedness in order to reap the lessons learned from COVID-19.

Finally, we urge state lawmakers and public health organizations to advocate for increased funding and resources for local health agencies. Adequate funding will protect staff, foster community trust, and enhance credibility of the field in the eyes of the public.

Why This Is Important

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the vulnerability and resilience of our public health system. We hope the findings in our new article, From Heroes to Zeroes: The Unraveling Support for Public Health in COVID Pandemic-Era Connecticut, will prompt policymakers, leaders, and communities to commit to the well-being and sustainability of the public health workforce. These professionals are not only deserving of gratitude but also of sustained, tangible investment to ensure they can continue protecting and advancing public health in the years ahead.

We thank our co-authors for their contributions to this work: Emily Ent, MPH, CHES; Shelby Segala, MS, CTRS; Jean Breny, PhD; and Gabriella DeMaro, BA.