Critical Public Health

Psychological Burden, Caregiving, and Mental Health Challenges Across Vulnerable Populations: Emerging Public Health Perspectives

Mental health and psychological well-being have become increasingly recognized as essential components of public health worldwide. Across different healthcare settings and vulnerable populations, caregivers, healthcare professionals, patients, and families experience substantial psychological, emotional, and social burdens that affect quality of life, healthcare outcomes, and community well-being. Recent global health challenges, economic instability, demographic transitions, and increasing chronic disease prevalence have further intensified these pressures, highlighting the urgent need for evidence-based public health interventions and policies.

This Article Collection aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for researchers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers to explore the complex relationship between caregiving burden, mental health, burnout, social determinants, and public health outcomes. The Collection will encourage submissions that address both individual and systemic factors influencing psychological well-being in diverse populations and healthcare contexts.

Potential topics include:

• Psychological distress among family caregivers of patients with chronic illnesses, dementia, disability, or mental disorders
• Burnout, stress, and resilience among healthcare professionals and nursing staff
• Mental health disparities in vulnerable or underserved populations
• Public health interventions promoting psychological well-being and caregiver support
• The impact of socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental factors on mental health outcomes
• Community-based mental health promotion strategies
• Digital health and telehealth approaches for psychological support
• Preventive public health policies addressing stress, anxiety, and depression
• Health education programs improving coping skills and resilience
• Cross-cultural perspectives on caregiving and mental health experiences

The proposed Collection particularly welcomes qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and systematic review studies that contribute innovative insights into public health approaches for improving mental health and reducing caregiving-related burdens. Interdisciplinary perspectives from nursing, psychology, medicine, sociology, health education, and public health sciences are strongly encouraged.

This topic is timely and globally relevant because mental health challenges continue to rise across all age groups and healthcare systems. Family caregivers and healthcare workers remain at increased risk of emotional exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life, especially in low- and middle-income countries where support resources may be limited. At the same time, public health systems increasingly recognize the importance of integrating psychological support and preventive mental health strategies into routine healthcare services. The Collection seeks to advance knowledge, inform evidence-based practice, and support the development of sustainable public health policies aimed at improving mental health outcomes, strengthening caregiver support systems, and promoting resilience among vulnerable populations worldwide. By bringing together diverse international contributions, this Article Collection will provide valuable evidence for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to address contemporary mental health and caregiving challenges through a public health lens.

Dr. Marwa Mamdouh Shaban is an Assistant Professor and specializes in community health, epidemiology, environmental health, and gerontological nursing. She is a published textbook author and a widely cited researcher whose work explores digital health interventions, telehealth, and community-based healthcare protocols. In 2021, she received the award for Best Doctorate Dissertation from the Scientific Society of Arab Nursing Faculties.

Dr. Nermen Abdelftah Mohammed is an Associate Professor has extensive experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programs, course coordination, and curriculum planning. Her research spans adult care, clinical health assessment, and student academic advising. She also serves as a reviewer for several international nursing journals.

Dr. Mostafa Shaban is an Assistant Professor and focuses heavily on healthy aging, nursing education innovations (including simulation, virtual reality, and OSCE design), and the ethical integration of AI in nursing practice. He is a highly cited scholar (with an H-index of 19–22) who serves as an Academic Editor for BMC Geriatrics, and PLOS ONE.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and peer review if they can pass the desk assessments as part of our standard editorial process; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 9 April 2027.

Please contact Saniya Qureshi at [email protected]  with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.