The Effect of Psychological Resilience and Coping Strategies on Mental Health of Nurses

Abstract

Introduction: Nursing professional is considered to be stressful with impact on nurses' mental health.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of coping strategies and psychological resilience on anxiety and depression among nurses.

Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, 378 nurses from two hospitals (a general and a psychiatric) in Greece completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25 (CD-RISC 25), and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire for evaluating the depression, anxiety, psychological resilience, and coping strategies, respectively. The study was carried out between October and December of 2019. Statistical analysis was performed with JASP version 0.14.01 and significance for all statistical tests was set at 0.05 or less.

Results: Psychological resilience was significantly correlated with anxiety (r = -0.127, p = 0.014), Positive approach (r = -0.466, p<0.001), Seeking social support (r = -0.228, p < 0.001), Avoidance/Escape (r = -0.121, p = 0.020). Anxiety was positively correlated with Seeking social support (r = -0.112, p = 0.030), Prayer/Daydream (r = -0.132, p = 0.030), Avoidance/Escape (r = -0.164, p < 0.001), and Assertive problem solving (r =-0.195, p < 0.0010). Psychological resilience, Avoidance, and Assertive problem-solving were significant predictors of increasing of anxiety (β = -0.128, p = 0.013, β = 0.130, p = 0.027, β = 0.131, p = 0.020, respectively). Avoidance (β = 0.209, p < 0.001) and age (β = 0.208, p = 0.029) were significant predictors of depression.

Conclusions: Psychological resilience and coping strategies have a significant effect on nurses' mental health.

Keywords: Anxiety; Coping strategies; Depression; Nurses; Resilience.