Background: Stress is a part of the nursing profession and it is reflected in higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders. aim : This study aimed to determine the prevalence of major depression episodes (MDE), Dysthymia and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), as well as their associated factors, in a representative sample of nurses in Sousse Farhat Hached teaching hospital, using the Tunisian version of CIDI.
Methods: It's a descriptive study, carried out among a representative sample of the nursing staff of Sousse Farhat Hached teaching hospital (N=228). The data obtained was the result of an interview using the CIDI sections related to MDD, dysthymia and GAD. Sociodemographic, medical and professional data were also collected.
Results: The MDE prevalence was estimated at 7.5% and was associated with the female gender, the remoteness of the workplace, the number of persons on the participant's charge, the personal antecedents of mental and organic pathologies, the job satisfaction related to internal relationships and security as well as with the wish to change position. The prevalence of Dysthymia was 5.7% and was associated with family antecedents of mental pathologies. The prevalence of TAG (4.4%) was associated with remoteness of the workplace, personal antecedents of mental pathologies and with satisfaction related to material conditions.
Conclusion: The important issues of human and financial consequences of stress at work require the use of large-scale measures that should be incorporated into a strategy covering all factors and involving both health authorities and administrative occupational medicine.