TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Mental health of diplomatic personnel: scoping review JO - Occupational medicine A1 - Brooks, S. K. A1 - Patel, D. A1 - Greenberg, N. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: Diplomatic personnel frequently relocate as part of their roles, requiring them to adapt to various cultural and political conditions; many are also at risk of experiencing trauma from being deployed to high-threat postings. With diplomatic personnel having to balance the usual pressures of their work with the uncertainties of COVID-19 in recent years, it is particularly important now to understand how to protect their mental health. AIMS: To synthesize existing literature on the well-being of diplomatic personnel to improve understanding of how to protect their mental health.

METHODS: A scoping review was carried out to explore what is already known about the well-being of staff working in diplomatic roles. Four databases were searched and reference lists, as well as one key journal, were hand-searched.

RESULTS: Fifteen relevant publications were included. There was little consensus as to how the psychological well-being of diplomatic personnel compares to other populations or which factors predict well-being. Diplomats' psychological responses to traumatic experiences appeared similar to those of other trauma-exposed occupational groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to better understand the well-being of diplomatic personnel, particularly those not deployed to high-threat posts.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0962-7480 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqad032 ID - ref1 ER -