The mediating role of self-efficacy between workplace violence and PTSD among nurses in Liaoning Province, China: A cross-sectional study

Jiachen Lu; Yingying Yu; Bin Wang; Yanni Zhang; Haoqiang Ji; Xu Chen; Meng Sun; Yuxin Daun; Yuanping Pan; Yunting Chen; Yaohui Yi; Xiaofeng Dou; Ling Zhou

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1090451

The mediating role of self-efficacy between workplace violence and PTSD among nurses in Liaoning Province, China: A cross-sectional study

Front Psychol. 2023 Feb 23:14:1090451. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1090451. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jiachen Lu¹, Yingying Yu¹, Bin Wang², Yanni Zhang³, Haoqiang Ji⁴, Xu Chen¹, Meng Sun¹, Yuxin Daun¹, Yuanping Pan¹, Yunting Chen¹, Yaohui Yi¹, Xiaofeng Dou¹, Ling Zhou¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
² Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
³ Laboratory Animal Center, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital Dalian University, Dalian, China.
⁴ School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Purpose: Nurses are at high risk for workplace violence, which can lead to psychological problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace violence, self-efficacy, and PTSD, and to further explore whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between workplace violence and PTSD among Chinese nurses.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Liaoning Province, China in 2020. A total of 1,017 valid questionnaires were returned. Each questionnaire included the Workplace Violence Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSS-10), and demographics information. A hierarchical multiple regression approach was used to explore the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between workplace violence and PTSD. The mediation model was then tested by the PROCESS macro in SPSS.

Results: A total of 1,017 nurses were included in this study, and the average score of PTSD among Chinese nurses was 26.85 ± 13.13 (mean ± SD). After further adjustment for control variables, workplace violence was positively associated with PTSD, explaining 13% of the variance. High self-efficacy was associated with low PTSD, explaining 18% of the variance. Self-efficacy partially mediated the role of workplace violence and PTSD.

Conclusion: The high scores of PTSD among Chinese nurses demand widespread attention. Workplace violence is an important predictor of PTSD in nurses. Self-efficacy is a significant factor in improving PTSD in nurses and mediates the relationship between workplace violence and PTSD. Measures and strategies to improve self-efficacy may mitigate the effects of workplace violence on PTSD in nurses.

Keywords: China; PTSD; nurses; self-efficacy; workplace violence.