Hundreds of federal employees terminated during Donald Trump's second term are grappling with severe mental health consequences from sudden job loss, according to a survey of workers laid off during their probationary periods.
The survey of more than 300 fired probationary employees found that 95% reported ongoing mental health effects. Nearly half described experiencing PTSD-like symptoms, while a quarter said they had begun taking new medications to manage psychological symptoms. Respondents worked across 12 different departments spanning 15 federal agencies, bureaus, and subgroups located in 43 states and the US Virgin Islands.
The affected workers represent a fraction of over 300,000 federal employees who were laid off or pressured to resign or retire since Trump took office. More than 25,000 workers were dismissed while still in their probationary period, typically within their first year or two on the job.
Brier Ryver, a park ranger at Florida's Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, was fired alongside other probationary staff while conducting an outdoor education program for children. She was temporarily reinstated in March 2025 but fired again in May. "I love that job, so I went back to it, but the instability was very apparent," Ryver said. "Even now, still talking to people who are still reinstated, it still feels like they're waiting for the other shoe to drop."
A federal judge ruled in September that the firing of probationary employees violated the law, though the judge declined to order reinstatement due to concerns that the Supreme Court might overturn such relief. The ruling's limited scope has alarmed fired workers, who see the terminations as eroding civil service protections.
Ryver, who continues experiencing PTSD-like symptoms, said the firings have established a dangerous precedent. "These unlawful terminations that should have never happened in the first place have had deep personal impacts," she said. "It still feels like it's at the back of my mind, what happened to us."
Christa Reynolds worked as a contractor for the National Institute of Health for eight years before joining the agency as a program analyst. She described receiving strong performance reviews and departmental recognition before her sudden termination. "I felt like I was doing really well," Reynolds said. "Then just like out of nowhere, this illegal firing took place."
Reynolds, who helped conduct the survey, expressed alarm over comments made by Russell Vought, the architect of Project 2025 and now head of the Office of Management and Budget. In private remarks in 2024, Vought said, "We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected." Reynolds called the statement deeply troubling. "You're targeting people who have dedicated their careers to helping the country," she said.
The economic toll on terminated workers extends far beyond mental health. One in five survey respondents reported being unemployed as of January 31, while 49% of those who found new employment earn significantly less than before. Only about 11% secured positions elsewhere in the federal government.
These employment outcomes contradict Trump's January claim that fired workers are "getting sometimes twice as much money, three times as much money" and "much better jobs and much higher pay."
Dr. Whitney Behr, a biologist hired by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in June 2024, was terminated in February 2025 while attending a work training event. She relocated from her apartment to live with family after being unable to afford rent on unemployment. Though temporarily reinstated by court order, she feared another firing wave. When multiple agencies resumed terminating probationary employees in May, Behr accepted a job offer in the United Kingdom instead.
Behr is among thousands of advanced researchers departing the country. An analysis by Science found that more than 10,000 doctoral-trained experts in science and related fields have left the US since the start of Trump's second term. The exodus has real consequences for ongoing research and environmental protection. "There are species going extinct right now and there's just nothing we can do about it," Behr said. "There are projects that were paid for that are not getting completed."
She emphasized the broader cost to American taxpayers. "I would like people to be aware of what has been stolen from them, and not just our careers," Behr said. "I would like people to understand that they are being stolen from in ways that may not be able to be repaired."
Several court cases related to the probationary employee terminations remain ongoing, with workers filing appeals with the Merit Systems Protection Board. The White House deferred comment to the Office of Personnel Management, which did not respond to requests for comment.
Author James Rodriguez: "The survey numbers paint a stark picture of institutional damage that extends well beyond employment statistics, and the government's silence on the mental health crisis it created is its own telling response."
Comments