Traumatic stress in times of war: a shared responsibility for health professionals.

Abstract

Background: Armed conflicts continue to inflict profound human suffering, dismantling health systems, displacing populations, and leaving lasting psychological scars. Although war is rooted in political and geopolitical dynamics, its consequences manifest daily in the clinical and ethical dilemmas faced by health professionals.Objective: This editorial calls for a greater ethical and professional commitment from mental health professionals - particularly those in safer contexts - to address the psychological, systemic, and societal impacts of war.Method: Drawing from current evidence in traumatic stress, humanitarian law, and global health, we examine the multilayered consequences of armed conflict, including PTSD, depression, grief, and intergenerational trauma. We reflect on the responsibilities of trauma specialists in times of political violence and mass displacement.Results: The psychological toll of war is amplified by the collapse of support systems, obstruction of care, and direct targeting of healthcare workers. Mental health professionals possess unique expertise not only in treatment, but also in advocacy, education, and testimony. However, trauma care often remains confined to clinical settings, disconnected from policy and public discourse. This editorial emphasises that silence - particularly from those in positions of relative safety - is not neutral, but complicit.Conclusions: There is a professional and ethical imperative for trauma specialists to move beyond the treatment room. This includes amplifying the voices of affected communities, informing policy with trauma-informed evidence, and confronting the systemic injustices that perpetuate violence. Upholding the core values of care, dignity, and justice requires a broader, more engaged response: not only to the aftermath of trauma, but to the structures that produce and sustain it.