The association between intimate partner violence exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms among clinical nurses in Guangdong province

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with adverse psychological outcomes, but evidence on post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among clinical nurses remains limited. This study examined the association between IPV exposure and PTSS among clinical nurses in Guangdong Province, China, and assessed sequential indirect associations involving psychological resilience and emotional exhaustion. Data were collected from 438 clinical nurses recruited from 5 tertiary-level general hospitals in Guangdong Province, China, using a general information questionnaire, the Short Form of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Emotional Exhaustion Scale, and the post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Analyses included independent-sample t tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlations, multiple linear regression, and path analysis. Mean scores for PTSS, IPV exposure, psychological resilience, and emotional exhaustion were 29.41 ± 16.21, 17.28 ± 8.70, 25.28 ± 6.16, and 21.95 ± 10.06, respectively. IPV exposure was positively correlated with PTSS (r = 0.740, P < .001) and emotional exhaustion (r = 0.776, P < .001), and negatively correlated with psychological resilience (r = −0.733, P < .001). Psychological resilience was negatively correlated with PTSS (r = −0.767, P < .001) and emotional exhaustion (r = −0.803, P < .001), while emotional exhaustion was positively correlated with PTSS (r = 0.764, P < .001). Marital status, years of work experience, weekly night shift frequency, IPV exposure, psychological resilience, and emotional exhaustion were significantly associated with PTSS (P < .05). Path analysis showed significant direct and indirect associations between IPV exposure and PTSS. The total indirect association estimate was 0.868, accounting for 62.9% of the total association, and the sequential indirect association estimate was 0.187, accounting for 13.6%. Greater IPV exposure was associated with greater PTSS severity among clinical nurses, with significant indirect associations involving lower psychological resilience and greater emotional exhaustion. Nursing administrators should consider these factors when developing psychological support strategies for nurses exposed to IPV.