O5.1 JOB STRESS AMONG NURSES IN PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTION AND GENERAL HOSPITALS IN TAIWAN

J. S. C. Shiao¹, Y. Tseng², M. J. Yang³, Y. Cheng⁴, Y. L. Guo².¹Department of Nursing, Chung Hwa College of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan; ²Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; ³Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; ⁴Department of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Introduction: Job stress in nurses is known to be caused by heavy workload, shift work, emergencies, needlestick injuries, and infectious disease. A significant relationship has been found between job stress and depression, frustration, job dissatisfaction, and burnout in nurses.

Objective: To assess the association between job stress and nurses’ subjective perception of mental health.

Methods: Nurses working in five psychiatric hospitals and four general hospitals in Taiwan were recruited for a questionnaire survey. The job stress questionnaire was based on the conceptual framework of job stress model, Karasek’s demand–control model (JCQ), Siegrist’s effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model, and additional items including assault and shift work. The Taiwan Depression Questionnaire (TDQ) was also included.

Results: A total of 1030 questionnaires were completed (77% response rate). Among the nurses in the psychiatric institutions, 14.8% were in the effort–reward imbalance group and 16.7% had depressive syndrome. Shift working was associated with poorer mental health. Among the nurses in the general hospitals, 21.8% were in the effort–reward imbalance group and 24.0% had depressive syndrome. Shorter tenure and shift working were associated with effort–reward imbalance. In both types of hospitals, depressive syndrome was found more in the younger age, effort–reward imbalance, and high demand–low control groups.

Conclusion: Among nurses in psychiatric institutions and general hospitals, depression syndrome …