Objective <p>To explore the mental health experiences and help-seeking behaviors among Chinese psychiatric nurses, providing a basis for developing mental health support strategies for psychiatric nurses.</p> Methods <p>This descriptive qualitative study employed purposive sampling to select psychiatric nurses from September 2024 to February 2025. One-on-one, face-to-face, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Data were managed using NVivo 15 software and analyzed using thematic analysis.</p> Findings <p>A total of 14 psychiatric nurses completed the interviews. Four main themes and 10 subthemes emerged from the thematic analysis. The four themes were as follows: (1) experiencing high stress in psychiatric nursing, (2) recognizing insufficient mental health knowledge, (3) trying to deal with distress on their own, and (4) seeking external support but facing barriers.</p> Conclusion <p>This study revealed multiple challenges faced by psychiatric nurses regarding mental health experiences and help-seeking behaviors. Mental health and help-seeking support systems for Chinese psychiatric nurses require further improvement.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>