Psychological distress, suicidality and resilience of Lithuanian nurses

Nurses, like other healthcare workers, are prone to poorer mental health, increased burnout, and may have an increased risk of suicide.

This study aimed to evaluate mental health problems among Lithuanian nurses and explore factors associated with them.

The survey was completed by 533 nurses. Mental health was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21, and suicidal ideation was measured with the Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire—Revised (SBQ-R).

A large proportion of nurses in the study had high psychological distress, with 18% having high depression, 29.3% - high anxiety, and 17.1% - high stress. 21.2% of the sample had an increased suicide risk. 64.9% of nurses considered changing their careers to a non-medical profession in the last 12 months.

Addressing mental health issues in the national healthcare system is critical to avoiding the loss of valued medical community members and ensuring that patients do not lose their critical caretakers.