• Hui-Ru Lin, Yung-Kuo Lee, Chen-Lin Chang, Ching-Hui Kuo, Hsin-Yun Ho, Chi-Jen Wu, Yi-Qian Chen, Cheng-Chun Wu, Yu-Cheng Ho, Tian-Huei Chu, Cheng-Hsin Chuang, and Chou-Yuan Ko.
• Nursing Department, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
• Ann. Med. 2025 Dec 1; 57 (1): 24474052447405.

BackgroundNurses 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsNurses aged 40-59 (52.85, p = 0.01), those in emergency departments (56.71, p = 0.001), and those caring for COVID-19 patients (50, p = 0.007) reported higher personal exhaustion. Significant differences in work-related fatigue levels were observed based on working environments (52.78, p < 0.001), no beliefs regarding religion (46.53, p = 0.036), care for COVID-19 patients (47, p < 0.001) and previously diagnosed with COVID-19 (46.58, p = 0.005). Key factors influencing emotional distress included marital status, number of children, and workplace (p < 0.05), while mental health variations were noted  in age, marital status, number of children, workplace, and years of experience (p < 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 (p < 0.001).Conclusions And Implications For Nursing ManagementThis 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.

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