Assessment of psychological health effects of nurses during 2022–2023 of the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive study in Southern Taiwan
Creators: name: Lin, Hui-Ru
name: Lee, Yung-Kuo
name: Chang, Chen-Lin
name: Kuo, Ching-Hui
name: Ho, Hsin-Yun
name: Wu, Chi-Jen
name: Chen, Yi-Qian
name: Wu, Cheng-Chun
name: Ho, Yu-Cheng
name: Chu, Tian-Huei
name: Chuang, Cheng-Hsin
name: Ko, Chou-Yuan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Cancer
subject: Mental Health
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Nurses on the frontlines of the pandemic have increased workloads, burnout, and virus exposure, leading to mental health challenges and a lack of resources for patient care. Mental health support for nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak has become a priority. This study evaluated psychological health outcomes of among nurses during the 2022–2023 COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, focusing on personal and work-related fatigue as key contributors to emotional distress. A cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to 200 nurses in a southern Taiwan hospital between 2022 and 2023. Emotional distress and mental health were assessed using the BSRS-5 (Brief Symptom Rating Scale) and CHQ-12 (Chinese Health Questionnaire). Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to identify factors influencing emotional distress and mental health outcomes. Nurses aged 40–59 (52.85, <i>p</i> = 0.01), those in emergency departments (56.71, <i>p</i> = 0.001), and those caring for COVID-19 patients (50, <i>p</i> = 0.007) reported higher personal exhaustion. Significant differences in work-related fatigue levels were observed based on working environments (52.78, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), no beliefs regarding religion (46.53, <i>p</i> = 0.036), care for COVID-19 patients (47, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and previously diagnosed with COVID-19 (46.58, <i>p</i> = 0.005). Key factors influencing emotional distress included marital status, number of children, and workplace (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), while mental health variations were noted  in age, marital status, number of children, workplace, and years of experience (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses’ emotional distress and mental health were significantly correlated with specific stressors such as age, workplace, care for confirmed COVID-19 patients, and previous COVID-19 diagnoses (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). This study highlights the stressors affecting nurses’ mental health during the 2022–2023 COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for stress-specific mental health support. Understanding these stress-specific factors is important for figuring out what nurses need to improve their mental health, which can lead to better care for patients. It found that emotional distress and mental health were significantly impacted by stressors like overwork, personal and work-related fatigue.The personal fatigue subscale exhibited notable differences with nurses’ age, workplace, and care for confirmed COVID-19 patients.The work-related fatigue subscale showed significant differences with nurses’ workplace, religious beliefs, care for confirmed COVID-19 patients, and previous diagnosis of COVID-19. It found that emotional distress and mental health were significantly impacted by stressors like overwork, personal and work-related fatigue. The personal fatigue subscale exhibited notable differences with nurses’ age, workplace, and care for confirmed COVID-19 patients. The work-related fatigue subscale showed significant differences with nurses’ workplace, religious beliefs, care for confirmed COVID-19 patients, and previous diagnosis of COVID-19.