We like to think that nurses on the floor are in the right state of mind, but this is not always the case. Mental health is a serious issue among nurses that often gets brushed under the rug by hospitals and the nurses themselves.

Most nurses never share that they are dealing with an issue of mental health. But, sometimes, it’s important to let it out and talk openly about it, with your colleagues, friends, and family.

These are the most common issues of mental health nurses face, and a few ways to overcome them.

#1 Workplace Stress:

Working in a place where your decision has the potential to make a difference in life-death situations will put you under a significant amount of stress. Approximately 83.9% of the nurses working in the intensive care units have reported that they regularly experience greater amounts of workplace stress, while another 10.7% have reported that they experience moderate stress.

Complications:

If this issue is not addressed, long-term, unrelieved stress can cause both physical ailments and other mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and so on.

Remedies:

• Mindfulness
• Exercises
• Meditation

#2 Depersonalization:

Approximately 60% of nurses experience depersonalization. Depersonalization basically is what it sounds. It is when someone is stripped from their humanity and individuality. This serious issue is more often than not linked to prolonged exposure to stress. One of the reasons cited for this is the nursing shortage, as nurses are forced to work continuous shifts and care for multiple patients. Typically, this disorder feels like you are floating and disassociated from the tasks that you are performing.

Complications:

If the problem of depersonalization is not attended to immediately, it can result in further mental downturn among nurses. Thus, it could cause other problems like anxiety, which is mainly caused by a lack of sleep.

Remedies:

• Reducing workplace stress
• Healthy sleeping habits

#3 Anxiety:

This mental health issue is found to be experienced by around 42.4% of nurses. This problem also correlates with workplace stress. The higher the level of stress, the more likelihood that you are dealing with anxiety. Anxiety, like stress, is another condition that you should not neglect because it can severely damage your mental health if you let it.

Complications:

If you are not attending to the anxiety issues immediately, it could lead to a wide range of negative symptoms, such as:

• Panic attacks
• Depression
• Substance abuse

Remedies:

• Antidepressants
• Beta-blockers

#4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:

Although there are lots of campaigns being conducted to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder, there is a common misconception that post-traumatic stress disorder is a soldier’s problem. While it’s true that this disorder is very common among soldiers, it’s not a disorder that is specific to them. Nurses are also the common victims of PTSD, which affects around 24% of the nursing workforce. These rates are much greater than the general public. According to various estimates, it has been found that 9.5% of the population in the U.S. is encountering at least one episode of post-traumatic stress disorder in their lives.

Complications:

This mental health condition can take various forms, as well as side effects, which include:

• Anxiety
• Poor mood
• Fight/Flight responses

Remedies:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• SSRIs

#5 Depression:

Compared to the general population, nurses are three times more likely to experience depression. According to the statistical reports, around 11% of nurses are known to have fought depression during their nursing careers. As such, it is one of the most difficult mental health problems to manage because many people aren’t aware how threatening and hard it could be to treat.

Complications:

If left untreated, depression could lead to the major depressive disorder.

Remedies:

• Anti-depressants
• Holistic therapies, like yoga and meditation
• Hobbies: Write about it, read a book to clear your mind
• Talk about it

The Bottom Line

No matter where you work, we advise you to be open enough about your mental health condition. Also, you must educate and motivate others to do the same. The most appropriate way to deal with this problem is to be honest. This way, you can not only promote your mental health but also that of your coworkers, thus creating a healthy workplace.