Dear Colleagues,

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, concerns over mental health issues have risen. Changes in lifestyle habits and more time in a mentally passive state while sitting at home may be connected with higher odds of developing poor mental health. The pandemic has not been only a global challenge to Health Care Professionals (HCPs) physical health, but also to their mental and social well-being. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the prevalence of mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, depression and suicidal ideation.

The protection and promotion of mental health and well-being in the workplace have become an increasingly important point of focus for researchers, organizations, policymakers and governments. Workplaces play an essential role in individuals’ mental health, as they can be both integral to the facilitation and protection of positive mental well-being as well as contributors to mental health problems and illnesses. Burnout, occupational stressors and stress injuries; an absence of psychological safety standards and policies; unhealthful workplace cultures; and mental illness stigma are but a few of the ways work conditions can negatively impact employees’ mental health, productivity and job satisfaction. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing tension points within work structures and workers’ gendered, racial, cultural and socioeconomic positionality, but it has also created ever more opportunities to understand and address mental health in the context of work. 

This Special Issue “Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellbeing Promotion of Health Workforce in a post-pandemic world” focuses on mental health care and promotion in HCPs and aims to further the knowledge about mental health in the workplace through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Issue seeks to explore lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that inform and shape our knowledge of workplace mental health priorities, strategies, initiatives, approaches and tools across a variety of sectors, work environments and worker groups. We encourage the submission of original research papers (both qualitative and quantitative), reviews, brief reports, critical comments and meta-analyses, for submission to this Special Issue. We will accept manuscripts from a variety of disciplines, covering topics related to the scope.

Prof. Dr. Carlos Laranjeira and Prof. Dr Maria Aparecida Salci

Guest Editors

Stress and distress; Job burnout; Trauma and trauma management; Resilience; Stress management and emotion work/education; Emotional well-being and physical health; Mental health policies; Psychosocial risks; Positive individual resources and coping strategies; Bullying and harassment at work; Individual and organizational factors and their interactions; Mentally healthy workplaces; Workplace spirituality; Work-life balance; Mental health promotion; Positive mental health