MENTAL HEALTH OF HEALTHCARE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS: RIGHT TO A SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The sustainability of global healthcare systems is closely connected to the mental well-being of the workforce that sustains them. While Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 emphasises good health and well-being and SDG 4 focuses on quality education and mental health. During training and early professional life of healthcare students and professionals mental health remains insufficiently addressed. This chapter examines the often-overlooked “hidden curriculum” of healthcare education, characterised by excessive workloads, sleep deprivation, hierarchical pressureand the normalisation of psychological distress. Adopting a human right–based approach, the chapter argues that a supportive educational environment is not an institutional privilege or a welfare measure, but a fundamental right derived from the rights to health and education. When mental health of healthcare students and professionals is compromised, patient safety, staff retention and the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems are placed at risk. By analysing barriers such as stigma, rigid, sanction-based educational environments, and rigid training schedules, the chapter proposes a rights-oriented framework for reform. It calls for policies that embed mental health protection within healthcare education to ensure that sustainable development does not come at the cost of those entrusted with caring for others.