Promoting Mental Health Among Healthcare Workers: Individual and Organizational Factors in Designing Psychological Interventions

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 660

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
Interests: career; employability; work and organizational psychology; health organization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs) is a pivotal determinant of work performance, quality, and the effectiveness of patient care. These professionals are often exposed to a wide range of occupational stressors, including excessive workloads; limited organizational support; poor work–life balance; concerns regarding career progression; interpersonal issues with colleagues, supervisors, and patients; and stressors related to continuing professional development.

Although the literature has extensively documented the resulting high levels of stress and burnout among HCWs, a significant gap remains in sustainable, evidence-based strategies to address this issue. Consequently, the aim of this Special Issue is to fill this gap by focusing on potential psychological interventions and innovative approaches to promote the well-being of HCWs, as well as the factors that can inform their design.

In light of the above, we are pleased to welcome contributions to this Special Issue, which will publish high-impact, original research and reviews on psychological interventions and psychosocial factors that contribute to the promotion of HCW well-being. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: evaluating the effectiveness of psychological interventions addressing HCW stressors; well-being interventions; investigations of both individuals and organizational factors able to boost performance and mental health in HCWs; and interventions aimed at improving HCWs’ coping strategies.

We will consider a wide range of submissions, including original articles, systematic reviews, short communications, and other types of articles related to designing effective psychological interventions for this population. All manuscripts will follow standard journal peer-review practices, and those accepted for publication will appear in the Special Issue.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Giovanni Schettino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • healthcare workers
  • psychological interventions
  • occupational stress
  • burnout
  • mental health promotion
  • coping strategies
  • work–life balance
  • job satisfaction
  • workload
  • training

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 280 KB  
Article
Information, Beliefs, and Gender Stereotypes: Analysis of Socio-Cognitive Factors Influencing Healthcare for Intersex People
by Carla Palomino-Suárez and Marta Evelia Aparicio García
Healthcare 2025, 13(22), 2949; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13222949 - 17 Nov 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
Intersex people continue to face barriers in healthcare. Despite notable ethical and legal advances, the role of socio-cognitive factors influencing clinical decision-making remains insufficiently understood. Critical perspectives call for revising the epistemological and normative foundations of medical practice, as clinical judgments may still [...] Read more.
Intersex people continue to face barriers in healthcare. Despite notable ethical and legal advances, the role of socio-cognitive factors influencing clinical decision-making remains insufficiently understood. Critical perspectives call for revising the epistemological and normative foundations of medical practice, as clinical judgments may still be shaped by professionals’ beliefs and limited access to accurate information. Objective: This study examined how levels of knowledge, beliefs about gender determinism, and adherence to gender roles influence healthcare professionals’ attitudes toward intersex people. Methods: A total of 210 healthcare professionals from Spain participated in a cross-sectional survey. Participants completed the Intersex Knowledge Questionnaire, the short version of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, and the Gender Determinism Scale. Data were analyzed using χ2 tests, one-way ANOVA, and t-tests. Results: Higher levels of knowledge (conceptual, procedural, and legislative) were associated with more affirmative and non-normative attitudes toward intersex healthcare. Neither gender determinism nor adherence to traditional gender roles was associated with professionals’ attitudes. Participants with prior contact with intersex people demonstrated higher conceptual knowledge and lower support for corrective surgeries. Significant disciplinary differences were also found: physicians tended to display more corrective and ambivalent attitudes, whereas psychologists and social workers were more frequently aligned with affirmative and diversity-respectful perspectives. Conclusions: Intersex healthcare attitudes may be influenced by limited training opportunities and the low visibility of intersex topics in medical education. Knowledge appears to be an important factor associated with more affirmative professional attitudes. Future studies using larger samples are needed to confirm these associations and explore underlying causal mechanisms. Full article
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