Burnout and Mental Health Among Nurses: Focusing on Psychosocial Work Environment, Occupational Stress, and Positive Psychological Resources

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine burnout and mental health among nurses in relation to psychosocial work environment, occupational stress, and positive psychological resources, and to provide empirical evidence to support the development of tailored prevention and intervention programs for nurse burnout. Methods: The participants were 389 nurses working in different regions of South Korea. The psychosocial work environment, occupational stress, burnout, mental health problems (including depression, anxiety, and anger), and positive psychological resources (including recovery experiences from job stress and self-compassion) were assessed using self-report measures. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squaretests, independent sample t-tests, and Pearson’s correlation analyses. Results: 65.3% of nurses were found to be at high risk of burnout, 28.8% for depression, and 13.4% foranxiety. Burnout and mental health risks varied significantly based on clinical experience, work unit, and intention to leave or take a leave of absence. Compared with the non-high-risk burnout group, the high-risk burnout group reported a poorer psychosocial work environment; higher levels of occupational stress, depression, anxiety, and anger; and lower levels of recovery experiences from job stress and self-compassion. Thus, burnout was positively correlated with adverse psychosocial work environments, occupational stress, and mental health problems, and negatively correlated with recovery experiences from job stress and self-compassion. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for differentiated and tailored prevention and intervention programs for nurse burnout that simultaneously address psychosocial work environment, occupational stress, mental health problems, and positive psychological resources. Evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting recovery experiences from job stress and self-compassion, combined with organizational efforts to improve psychosocial working conditions, may provide useful avenues for offering psychological support to nurses.