Aspects of mental suffering among nursing professionals at a public hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract

Introduction: Nurse practitioners are fundamental to organize patient care at the various levels of health care services. This includes exposure to various work stressors, which can affect the quality of the service as a result of physical and mental exhaustion.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate and analyze the rate and the factors associated with mental suffering in licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants in a hospital in Brazil.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with a nursing support team in a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. The participants answered the Self-Reporting Questionnaire, which assesses mental suffering, and a questionnaire with questions about sociodemographic, occupational, clinical and health risk behavior data in 2013.

Results: Their mean age was 32.8 years (standard deviation ± 8.5), and their mean length of service was 6.9 years (standard deviation ± 7.0). The participants were predominantly licensed practical nurses (53.5%), women (73.3%), working less than 40 hours per week (63.4%), with more than one job (74.3%), and no chronic illnesses (84.2%). The overall rate of mental suffering was 23.8%. The most frequent (46.5%) complaint was feeling nervous, tense or worried.

Conclusions: Mental suffering is a risk factor for overall health and workers' health care services should focus on health promotion and disease prevention.