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Psychological Distress Among Nurses Caring for Victims of War in Sri Lanka

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2013

Wasantha Jayawardene ,
Ahmed YoussefAgha ,
Scott LaJoie  and
Mohammad Torabi
Wasantha Jayawardene*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Health Science, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University
Ahmed YoussefAgha
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Health Science, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University
Scott LaJoie
Affiliation:
Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville
Mohammad Torabi
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Health Science, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Wasantha Jayawardene, Department of Applied Health Science, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University Bloomington, 1025 East 7th St, Room 116, Bloomington, IN 47405 (e-mail wajayawa@indiana.edu).
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Abstract

Objective

To determine prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among nurses caring for war victims in Sri Lanka.

Methods

Descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 241 nurses from 2 hospitals with stratified random sampling according to workstation. Self-administered 30-item General Health Questionnaire was used to detect psychological distress.

Results

The prevalence of psychological distress was 21%. Female sex was found to be the most significant predictor of psychological distress among nurses. Factors, such as being married, having children, or both, were found to be protective. High exposure to war victims, measured by the frequency with which a nurse tended to those patients, also resulted in less psychological distress.

Conclusions

The prevalence of psychological distress is higheramong nurses in this study compared with that among the general population. Brief screening instruments, such as the General Health Questionnaire, can be used to identify individuals at risk for psychological distress. Results suggest that the presence of a social support network helped to psychologically buffer these nurses. Findings also imply the importance of promoting positive attitudes and beneficial stress (eustress) to complement a well-developed focus on distress prevention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:278-286)

Keywords

psychological distresspositive attitudenurseswar victims
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 278 - 286
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

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