A national survey of the nurses' mental health - The case of Portugal

Aim To understand Portuguese nurses' perceptions of their mental health. Background The impact of nurses' health and well-being on the quality and safety of the care they provide is well known. In Portugal, there are no representative studies regarding nurses' mental health. Materials and Methods Transversal, analytical, and observational methods were used, with a quantitative approach. Participants answered questions through an online form. We collected data concerning social-professional characterization, general health status, and mental health. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used. Results A total of 1264 nurses participated in a nonrandomized sample. Two-thirds revealed a negative perception of their mental health. Of these, 22.2% reported severe depression symptoms, 71.6% indicated significant somatic symptoms, 76% showed significant anxiety, and 94.1% presented some kind of social dysfunction. Conclusion Better mental health is associated with being part of a larger household, enjoying more hours of sleep, having more free weekends, being male, working as a specialist, and engaging in leisure activities. Worse mental health is associated with being older, having a longer career, working more hours, and practicing in the hospital context. Implications for nursing practice The professionals' living and working conditions must be addressed by their managers.