Introduction and objective:
The hospital work environment involves coexisting psychosocial, organizational and biological exposures. Time pressure, shift work, clinical responsibility, contact with suffering and death, workplace violence, adverse events, value conflicts and biological exposures may affect the psychological health of healthcare personnel. This review aims to discuss these relationships and the role and limits of brief psychological support.

Brief description of the state of knowledge:
Occupational exposures may be associated with sleep disturbance, tension, anxiety, low mood, post-traumatic symptoms, emotional exhaustion and burnout. Outcomes are shaped by exposure characteristics, workload, safety culture, quality of communication, opportunities for recovery and individual resources. Barriers to help-seeking include stigma, fear of professional consequences and concerns about confidentiality. Available evidence supports combining individual, team-based and organizational measures. Brief psychological consultation may provide stabilization, preliminary assessment of needs and risk, and referral to appropriate care, but it cannot replace treatment, safety procedures, or organizational change.

Summary:
Psychological support should be accessible, confidential, non-stigmatizing and separated from employee evaluation. The proposed KSP-S framework (an acronym derived from the Polish terms for contact, stabilization, planning and referral) organizes four areas of brief support. It is a heuristic framework requiring empirical evaluation.