Study of professional and psychosocial work aspects and depression in nurses working at hospital environment. / Estudo de aspectos profissionais e psicossociais no trabalho e a depressão em enfermeiros atuantes em ambiente hospitalar

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2010

RESUMO

The work in Nursing has been object of numerous studies because of the potential for physical and mental damage to workers due to peculiarities of the process and the work conditions found in health institutions. The following hypotheses had been tested: H1 - The professional aspects (work hours, work unit and work shift), the psychosocial work aspects (psychological and physical demand, control, social support and insecurity), the type of work and the exposure to occupational stress are factors associated to the increase of depression in nurses, after the control of the others variables; H2 - The addition of social support influences the relation between psychological job demand and job control and the depression in nurses, after the control of the others variables. This observational, descriptive, correlational and crosssectional study aimed to evaluate the professional and psychosocial work aspects at hospital environment and the presence of depression in nurses. In total, 292 nurses from one university hospital have participated in this study. The data collection was realized, from March to May of 2009, through the application of three instruments: form of identification of worker, Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and Beck Depression Inventory - I (BDI-I). In general, the instruments had substantial or almost perfect values for Cronbachs Alpha. For BDI-I, alpha was 0.83. For JCQdimensions, the values were: psychological job demand 0.72; job control 0,76 and its sub-dimensions skill discretion 0.69 and decision authority 0.59; physical demand of work 0.81; social support at workplace 0.79 and its sub-dimensions social support from supervisors 0,82 and social support from colleagues 0.71; and job insecurity 0.20. Among the participants, most were female (91.10%), married (49.32%), with average age of 38.6 years. 45.21% had significant and recent life event and 22.22% of these events were related to work. In regard to the work, most were public employees (81.2%), registered nurses (70.89%), with average time of performance in the hospital of 11.13 years (DP±8.77) and average of work hours per week 42.81 hours (DP±13.62). The prevalence and average of the psychosocial work aspects were: high psychological job demand - 49.66% and 32.71 (DP±5.90); low job control - 50.34% and 68.10 (DP±10.22); low skill discretion - 50.00% and 34,87 (DP±5.42); low decision authority - 82.19% and 33.23 (DP±6.35); high physical demand - 48.97% and 11.67 (DP±2.71); low insecurity - 81.16% and 5.05 (DP±2.44); low social support - 82.88% and 22.41 (DP±3.43); low support from supervisor - 88.36% and 10.92 (DP±2.52); low support from colleagues - 84.93% and 11.49 (DP±1.58). Among the participants, the types of work experienced were: high-strain job (23.63%), active job (26.03%), passive job (26.71%) and low-strain job (23.63%). According to the level of exposure to occupational stress, the nurses were divided into intermediate exposure to stress (52.74%), high exposure to stress (23.63%) and without exposure to stress (23.63%). Among the nurses, 9% of them have indicated depression symptoms, classified as minor depression (5.14%) and moderate depression (3.77%), with average score of 7,24 (DP±5.77). Hypothesis 1 was partially confirmed and the work aspects related to depression in the final model were: psychological job demands, job control, social support at workplace, physical demands of work, high-strain jobs, high exposure to occupational stress, work hours and clinical, surgical and ambulatory units. Hypothesis 2 was partially confirmed and the social support dimension has demonstrated its influence to the measure of the psychological job demand and the subdimension skill discretion. Thus, the working conditions faced by nurses at hospital environment imply in depression and, possibly, in other consequences for the health of these professionals.

ASSUNTO(S)

hospitais enfermagem occupational disease saúde ocupacional nursing depression psychopathology depressão doenças ocupacionais hospitals occupational health psicopatologia

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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