Psychopathological Factors Associated With Burnout in Intensive Care Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have separately revealed that parameters such as anxiety, depression, and secondary traumatic stress (STS) are associated with burnout, there is still a limited understanding of the relationship between anxiety, depression, and STS and burnout in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. AIMS: To investigate the relationship between levels of burnout, anxiety, depression, and STS in ICU nurses. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with ICU nurses ( N = 164) from a university hospital in eastern Turkey. The participants completed the anxiety, depression, STS, and burnout scales along with the descriptive characteristics form. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean scores for STS, anxiety, depression, and burnout were 40.60 ± 13.77, 17.14 ± 12.90, 13.28 ± 9.75 and 41.39 ± 14.87, respectively. The results showed that, in the ICU nurses, anxiety, depression, and STS components explained 61% of emotional exhaustion, 38% of depersonalization, and 13% of personal accomplishment. CONCLUSIONS: While the present findings supported the paradigm that burnout in ICU nurses is associated with STS, anxiety, and depression, they also revealed some details about the psychopathological factors associated with burnout. These details were as follows: (1) individuals who resorted to avoidance as a component of STS on a high level were more likely to experience emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, (2) individuals with severe depressive symptoms were more likely to experience a decrease in their personal accomplishment, and (3) individuals with anxiety symptoms were more likely to experience both emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment.

Prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms among intensive care nurses: A meta‐analysis

“…ICU nurses are presented with large number of highly complex patients requiring vigilant monitoring and interventions. Continuous exposure to unpredictable conditions, in addition to demands of caring for unstable patients and a distressed family, places ICU nurses at high risk of anxiety, stress, fatigue, and burnout, which all are significant predictors of depression 54‐56 . Further research is required to identify effective interventions for preventing and managing depression among nurses in ICU settings.…”

“…ing for unstable patients and a distressed family, places ICU nurses at high risk of anxiety, stress, fatigue, and burnout, which all are significant predictors of depression [54][55][56]. Further research is required to identify effective interventions for preventing and managing depression among nurses in ICU settings.T A B L E 2…”

Compassion fatigue and moral sensitivity in midwives in COVID-19

“… 24 In Yıldız’s study, which examined the psychopathological factors associated with burnout in 164 intensive care nurses, it was established that the depression and secondary traumatic stress scores were high and explained 61% of the burnout levels of the nurses. 47 …”

The Nurse Leader's Role in Nurse Substance Use, Mental Health, and Suicide in a Peripandemic World

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