The following is the current DSM-5 definition of a mental health disorder:
"A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress in social, occupational, or other important activities (APA, 2015).”
The definition also states that this does not apply to transient responses to life losses, such as the death of a loved one, stressors, or culturally sanctioned behaviors.
The CDC agrees with the World Health Organization that mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.
Stress and burnout in nursing
U.S. nurses commonly report stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout in the health care literature. Unfortunately, there is little published research regarding mental health disorders within our nursing population and the effects of these disorders on nursing employment.
In a study of 382 Australian nurses (Perry et al., 2015), 14% reported a history of mental health disorder. Anxiety and depression constituted 13% of the types of psychological issues. However, some short-term and transient mental health symptoms were reported in 65% of these nurses. Nurses who had good health and sleep, lived with a spouse or partner, and did not work nights had fewer mental health symptoms.
Shields et al. (2021) recommend the following brief mental health disorder screening questionnaires that can be used with public safety personnel, also appropriate for healthcare workers.
Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms
According to d’Ettorre et al. (2021), healthcare workers worldwide facing the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to experience stress that can lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), a potential precursor to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The following were found in the authors’ review of 16 publications to be predictors of PTSS in healthcare workers:
Arnetz et al. (2020) found nurses lacking adequate PPE had a higher reporting of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Greenberg et al. (2021) in a study of 709 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff working in intensive care during COVID-19 found the following results:
Instant Feedback:
Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are a potential precursor to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
References
American Psychiatric Association (2015). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®), Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Arnetz, J. E., Goetz, C. M., Sudan, S., Arble, E., Janisse, J. & Bengt, B. (2020). Personal Protective Equipment and Mental Health Symptoms Among Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: 62(11), 892-897.
d'Ettorre, G., Ceccarelli, G., Santinelli, L., Vassalini, P., Innocenti, G. P., Alessandri, F., Koukopoulos, A. E., Russo, A., d'Ettorre, G., & Tarsitani, L. (2021). Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Healthcare Workers Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 601. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020601
Greenberg, N., Weston, D., Hall, .C, Caulfield, T., Williamson, V. & Fong, K. (2021). Mental health of staff working in intensive care during Covid-19. Occup Med (Lond). 71(2), 62-67.
Perry, L., Lamont, S., Brunero, S., Gallagher, R. & Duffield, C. (2015). The mental health of nurses in acute teaching hospital settings: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Nurs. 27(14)15.
Shields, R.E., Korol, S., Carleton, R.N., McElheran, M., Stelnicki, A.M., Groll, D. et al.(2021). Brief Mental Health Disorder Screening Questionnaires and Use with Public Safety Personnel: A Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 18(7),3743.