Work psychosocial aspects and psychological distress among nurses

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between psychological demand and job control and demand with psychological distress among nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 502 female nurses working in a public hospital at the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. The Demand-Control Model proposed by Karasek to evaluate the association between job control-demand and psychological distress was adopted. The SRQ-20 was used to measure psychological distress. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychological distress was 33.3%, ranging from 20.0% among lady nurses to 36.4%, among nurse assistants. Strong dose-response gradients were observed between demand and psychological distress and the negative association between job control and psychological distress. Prevalence of psychological distress was higher (PR=2.6; 95% CI: 1.81-3.75) among professionals in high-strain jobs (high demand, low control) when compared to professionals in low-strain jobs (low demand, high control), after adjustment by potential confounders in a logistic multiple regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings reinforce the relevance of intervening in the organizational structure in order to increase control upon job and adjust the levels of psychological demands.