The impact of night shifts on the physical and mental health of psychiatric medical staff: the influence of occupational burnout

Background The mental health of mental health care professionals has become a key area of research due to the increasing demands and stressors inherent in the work environment. This study explored the relationship between night shift work stress, burnout, social support, and physical and mental health among psychiatric medical staff. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 244 psychiatric medical staff at a psychiatric specialty hospital in eastern Taiwan. The study utilized validated instruments, including the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Social Support Scale, and the SF-12 Health Survey, to measure work stress, burnout, social support, and health outcomes. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses were employed to assess the relationships among these variables and the moderating effects of social support. Results The findings revealed significant positive correlations between work stress and occupational burnout (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) and negative correlations with physical and mental health (r = - 0.23, p < 0.001). Occupational burnout is a negative significant predictor of physical and mental health (beta = -0.533, p < 0.001). Additionally, higher levels of social support were associated with better health outcomes (r = 0.18, p < 0.01), although its moderating effect on the relationship between stress and health was not significant. Conclusion This study highlights the significant impact of night shifts on the physical and mental health of psychiatric medical staff. The findings suggest that interventions to reduce the negative impacts of night shifts are crucial, such as improving shift systems, increasing organizational support, and providing targeted mental health programs. These measures will help enhance night shift workers' health and job satisfaction, improving the overall quality of health care services.