Mental health status of Greek female nurses

It was found that psychological symptoms were more common in younger and less experienced nurses, while the nurses' rank, years of education, the amount of time spent with patients and duties worked in intensive care units do not influence the manifestations of psychological difficulties.

Abstract

This study investigated various psychological aspects of Greek female nurses who worked in a variety of hospital settings. One hundred and twenty-six female nurses were given the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Symptom Check List-90-R (SCL-90-R). The nurses scored significantly higher on both of the STAI scales i.e. state and trait anxiety as well as on many of the SCL-90-R scales i.e. the General Symptom Index, somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety and paranoid ideation, compared to the adjusted norms. The nurses who work in a General Hospital setting appear to be more psychologically disturbed than psychiatric nurses. It was further found that psychological symptoms were more common in younger and less experienced nurses, while the nurses' rank, years of education, the amount of time spent with patients and duties worked in intensive care units do not influence the manifestations of psychological difficulties. The above findings are discussed in relation to the pertinent literature and some suggestions are made regarding the necessity of improving nurses' training and environmental management in Greece.