Psycho-health effects in Italian psychiatric nurses suffering from aggressions in their work environments

Abstract

Background
Violence against healthcare workers is a problem of global significance and represents a phenomenon that has been growing rapidly in recent years for the healthcare professions. The aim of the present study was to investigate if there were any associations between anxiety and depression conditions in Italian psychiatric nurses who received a physical or verbal aggression and, additionally if the safety perception levels influenced their anxiety and depression conditions, too.
Methods
All Italian nurses who worked in an Italian psychiatric setting with at least 6 months of work experience were enrolled from March 2017 to December 2019.
Results
As regards anxiety and depression conditions associated to physical and verbal aggressions suffered from Italian psychiatric nurses, data suggested statistically significant associations to physical and verbal aggressions suffered and anxiety and depressions conditions reported. Finally, as regards security level perceptions and anxiety and depression conditions, data reported statistically significant associations between security level perceptions and anxiety and depression levels registered, as: psychiatric nurses who perceived their work environments more secure, less registered an anxiety or depression disorder, respectively.
Discussion
From the data recorded, a safe nursing work environment has gained great attention because it was an essential element that influenced physical, psychological, and social health conditions.