Why resilience matters 

Healthcare workers (HCW) face constant stress, heavy workloads, and crises such as pandemics. Resilience- the ability to adapt, recover, and thrive despite adversity- helps protect them from burnout and mental health challenges. Strong resilience among HCW is also vital for building health systems that can withstand shocks and continue delivering safe, effective care.

What this review set out to do 

Researchers created a systematic map to organize and analyse global evidence on resilience‑building interventions for HCW. Unlike a traditional review, a systematic map shows what kinds of interventions have been studied, where, and with what outcomes and is accompanied with a visual and interactive map.

How it was done

• Over 13,000 research records were screened.
• 587 studies were included in a framework linking interventions to outcomes.
• Studies were categorized by design, population, setting, region, and outcomes measured.
• The process followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with OSF (osf.io)

What the evidence shows

Geography

Most studies (81%) came from high‑income countries. Evidence from low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs) was limited.

Workforce focus

Nearly half of the studies focused on nurses, followed by other healthcare professionals.

Interventions studied

• Resilience training (41%) and workplace training/mentorship (40%) were most common.
• Innovative approaches like AI‑based or systems‑thinking interventions were rare (~5%).
• Pharmacological or traditional remedies were almost absent (<1%).

Outcomes measured

• Psychological outcomes (stress, coping, wellbeing) dominated (89%).
• Broader outcomes such as patient safety, policy impacts, or workforce performance were rarely assessed (<4%).

Key takeaways 

The global evidence on resilience interventions is uneven. Most research comes from wealthier countries and focuses on individual‑level training for nurses and doctors in institutional settings. There is little evidence from LMICs, community‑based contexts, or system‑level interventions. While resilience training is widely studied, innovative and system‑level strategies remain underexplored. Future research should expand to diverse settings and outcomes, ensuring resilience interventions benefit HCW everywhere – not just in high‑income countries.

Outputs & Publications

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