Effectiveness of interventions to support healthcare workers' mental health and well-being: An umbrella review of systematic reviews

OBJECTIVES: To synthesise evidence from existing systematic reviews on the effectiveness of mental health interventions for healthcare professionals and examine the contextual factors influencing their implementation and impact. STUDY DESIGN: Umbrella review of systematic reviews evaluating interventions to support the mental health of healthcare workers. METHODS: An umbrella review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eligible systematic reviews were identified through a comprehensive database search supplemented by manual searching of reference lists. A thematic analysis and narrative synthesis were undertaken to categorise intervention types, examine implementation characteristics and evaluate reported contextual influences. RESULTS: A total of 882 records were identified, of which 14 systematic reviews met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Eight categories of interventions were identified: (1) mindfulness-based and mind-body interventions, (2) digital and online-based interventions, (3) cognitive- and behavioural-based interventions, (4) educational- and training-based interventions, (5) organizational, structural and environmental interventions, (6) well-being, reflective and relaxation-based interventions, (7) peer and relational support interventions and (8) medical and clinical interventions. Mindfulness-based and cognitive-behavioural interventions demonstrated the strongest evidence of effectiveness; however, substantial heterogeneity was evident across intervention design, implementation processes and outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Although individual interventions show measurable benefits, sustainable improvements in the mental health of the healthcare workforce require integrated multilevel public health approaches. Embedding mental health support within organisational structures, workforce policies and health system governance is essential for strengthening system capacity.