Coping Styles of Nurses in Working with Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Coping refers to the conscious and voluntary thoughts and behaviors used to manage internal and external stressors. Coping mechanisms and defense mechanisms serve the common goal of alleviating or enduring stress. A number of coping mechanisms show utility in certain situations. Some studies show that a problem-focused approach may be the most beneficial coping style. Maladaptive coping includes strategies associated with negative mental health outcomes and increased psychopathological symptoms. Examples include detachment, avoidance and emotional suppression. The aim of this paper is to examine the main coping styles used by nurses in working with psychiatric patients. The research is structured as a cross-sectional study. Nurses/technicians of all levels of education who are currently employed and have experience working with psychiatric patients were included in the research. The criteria for inclusion in the research were the following: voluntary consent to the research and respondents older than 18 years. The excluded criteria were: respondents under 18 years of age and respondents who do not have work experience with psychiatric patients. A general demographic questionnaire that included six questions was used as a research instrument. A translated and adapted version of the Brief-COPE scale was used to examine coping styles. The results of this research reveal that nurses/technicians who care for psychiatric patients use positive coping styles more often than maladaptive ones. The conclusion of the research is that nurses/technicians who work with psychiatric patients use positive coping styles more often than maladaptive ones. This research highlights the importance of mindful coping strategies for managing stress in the workplace and the potential benefit of a problem-solving approach.