The association between sleep and burnout in psychiatric nurses: a survey from China

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric nurses are at high risk of burnout due to their demanding job responsibilities. Sleep quality has been widely studied as a potential factor contributing to burnout, but the relationship between sleep and burnout among psychiatric nurses in China remains unclear. This study investigated the association between sleep quality and burnout in Chinese psychiatric nurses, identifying potential risk factors for burnout.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized, collecting data from 1044 psychiatric nurses across multiple hospitals in China. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and burnout was measured through the Maslach Burnout Inventory- General Survey (MBI-GS). Logistic regression analyses assessed the association between sleep quality and burnout, controlling for demographic variables.

Results: This study showed that 20.39% of psychiatric nurses had job burnout. In the emotional exhaustion model, age ≥ 36 years, high nursing title, sleep disorders (e.g., poor quality, frequent disturbances, daytime dysfunction), and hypnotic drug use were positively correlated with emotional exhaustion, while night shifts in the past month were negatively correlated. These factors explained 26.5% of the variation (P < 0.05). In the cynicism model, male gender, age ≥ 36 years, family history of mental illness, sleep disorders, and hypnotic drug use were positively correlated, whereas night shifts were negatively correlated, accounting for 19.9% of the variation (P < 0.05). In the reduced personal achievement model, female gender, overweight/obesity, high nursing education/title, and night shifts showed positive correlations, while family history of mental illness, sleep efficiency, and hypnotic drug use exhibited negative correlations, explaining 3.1% of the variance (P < 0.05). Notably, both night shift frequency and hypnotic drug use were significantly associated with all three burnout dimensions (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: This study highlights the strong link between sleep disturbances and burnout in psychiatric nursing. Implementing personalized strategies to improve sleep hygiene could serve as an effective means to mitigate burnout and support the mental health of psychiatric nurses.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Keywords: Hypnotic drugs; MBI-GS; Night shift; PSQI; Psychiatric nurses.