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How to support frontline workers as coronavirus pandemic continues
Northern Illinois University Professor Bethany Cockburn joined FOX 32 to talk about it.
DEKALB, Ill. - The healthcare workers who have cared for us during the pandemic are getting a helping hand from the federal government.
On Thursday, a $3 million investment was announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reduce burnout and benefit healthcare workers' mental health with stress management training.
It comes on the heels of a Northern Illinois University study that found our perception of healthcare workers as heroes is actually having a negative side effect.
"We found through many studies that when someone is thought of as a hero, we're more likely to not empathize with them or feel these positive emotions towards them," said Bethany Cockburn, a Northern Illinois University professor.
"We're less likely to see that they've experienced injustice and less likely to feel angry on their behalf, and we're just less likely to help them," she added.