Academic Journal
Workforce mental health as health security infrastructure: protecting emergency response capacity during public health emergencies.
| Τίτλος: | Workforce mental health as health security infrastructure: protecting emergency response capacity during public health emergencies. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Tahlil AA; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Somali National University, Mogadishu, Somalia.; Center for Epidemic Intelligence, Preparedness and Response, Mogadishu, Somalia., Mohamed MA; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia., Ali LA; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia., Abdi MA; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia., Ahmed HS; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia., Mohamud NA; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia., Adam AH; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia., Osman AY; Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia, Mogadishu, Somalia.; Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom. |
| Πηγή: | Frontiers in public health [Front Public Health] 2026 Sep 23; Vol. 14, pp. 1935035. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Sep 23 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Frontiers Editorial Office Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101616579 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2296-2565 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 22962565 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Lausanne : Frontiers Editorial Office |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Emergency Responders*/psychology , Emergencies*/psychology , Mental Health* , Public Health*, Humans ; Public Health Infrastructure ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Burnout, Professional |
| Περίληψη: | Public health emergencies place substantial psychological demands on healthcare and public health emergency response workforces. While preparedness frameworks traditionally emphasize surveillance systems, infrastructure, and operational capacity, workforce mental health is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of sustainable emergency response. This Perspective examines how workforce mental health functions as an underlying determinant of health security capacity. Evidence from contemporary literature indicates that emergency responders experience substantial burdens of psychological distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, burnout, depression, anxiety, and moral distress. These outcomes are influenced by trauma exposure, organizational stressors, workload pressures, resource limitations, and ethical challenges encountered during emergency response. However, estimates vary across occupational groups, geographic settings, measurement approaches, and emergency contexts. This Perspective proposes that workforce mental health should be considered a measurable component of health security infrastructure. Protecting responder wellbeing requires a systems-based approach integrating organizational reforms, confidential support mechanisms, workforce protection policies, and evidence-informed interventions. Incorporating workforce mental health indicators into emergency preparedness frameworks may strengthen workforce sustainability, operational readiness, and health security resilience. (Copyright © 2026 Tahlil, Mohamed, Ali, Abdi, Ahmed, Mohamud, Adam and Osman.) |
| Competing Interests: | The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: PTSD; burnout; emergency responders; health security; healthcare workers; mental health; moral injury; pandemic |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20261008 Date Completed: 20261008 Latest Revision: 20261010 |
| Update Code: | 20261010 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13642588 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1935035 |
| PMID: | 42846306 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
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