A NPR podcast from January expands on what it means for a government employee’s mental health while furloughed. The American Psychological Association’s president was quoted in an article saying that “the stress of uncertainty and missed paychecks is putting enormous pressure on the 800,000 furloughed federal workers, as well as government contractors and the many businesses that rely on federal workers.”
So many workers have had their mental health conditions worsen from the government shutdown, or have even developed a mental health condition, that some local health systems are currently offering free mental health counseling, according to the Chicago Tribune. And during the shutdown, the federal government offered questionable “tips” to those suffering, with the Coast Guard Support Program telling members dealing with mental health issues to get by without pay by “holding a garage sale” or “dog-walking.”