Investigation of Psychiatric Symptoms in Nurses Working in a Hospital

Objective: This research was conducted to investigate the psychiatric symptoms and factors affecting nurses working in a hospital. Method: This study was carried out in Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu General Hospital in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The study sample was composed of 360 nurses from different departments of the Hospital. Data were collected by using the Descriptive Data Form created by the researchers and the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R). Percentages, averages, Student-t test, one way ANOVA test, Pearson's correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Results: According to the results of the Symptom Check List, scores were high for somatization in 67.5% of the nurses, for obsessive compulsive symptoms in 57.2%, for interpersonal sensitivity in 52.5%, for depression in 50.3%, for anxiety in 50%, for hostility in 53.3%, for phobic reaction in 45.3%, for paranoid ideation in 60%, for psychoticism in 47.2% and for general symptom level in 50.3% of the nurses. Socioeconomic status, work unit, number of patients cared for by nurses, working position, weekly working hours, number of shifts per month, physical environment, problems with patients, doctors and managers, and problems in the use of equipment were found to have effect on the levels of psychiatric symptoms among nurses. Conclusion: Nurses should be supported psychologically and attention should be given to protect the mental health of nurses. Improving psychological, physical and social conditions in the hospitals can be effective to decrease psychiatric symptoms among nurses.