Trauma, Mental Health Workforce Shortages, and Health Equity: A Crisis in Public Health

Suha Ballout ()
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Suha Ballout: Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: The global mental health workforce is facing a severe crisis marked by burnout, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and workforce shortages, with disproportionate effects on marginalized communities. This paper introduces the Integrated Workforce Trauma and Resilience (IWTR) Model, a comprehensive framework to understand and address these interconnected challenges. This study employs a conceptual, documentary analysis approach to examine the challenges faced by mental health workers, particularly trauma, burnout, and workforce shortages. By synthesizing existing qualitative and quantitative studies, the research identifies recurring themes and provides recommendations for policy reform to improve workforce sustainability and equity. Using a thematic synthesis of 75 peer-reviewed articles, conceptual papers, and policy reports published between 2020 and 2025, alongside foundational theoretical works, the IWTR Model integrates five theoretical perspectives: trauma-informed care, Conservation of Resources Theory, Intersectionality Theory, the Job Demands–Resources Model, and Organizational Justice Theory. The analysis identifies three dimensions: the impact of trauma on mental health professionals, organizational and systemic factors influencing workforce retention, and strategies to build resilience through policy and education. The findings reveal how secondary trauma, burnout, and systemic inequities interact to undermine workforce stability and access to care. The IWTR Model emphasizes that individual-level interventions will be insufficient without addressing structural issues, such as workload inequities, lack of leadership diversity, and underfunding. This model offers a roadmap for systemic reforms to strengthen workforce resilience, improve retention, and advance global equity in mental health care systems.

Keywords: mental health workforce; burnout; secondary trauma; workforce resilience; trauma-informed care; equity; health disparities; workforce shortages (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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