Correlation of Perceived Stress and Psychological Flexibility in Razi Psychiatric Nurses in Tehran

Psychiatric wards are one of the stressful centers in medical education and nursing is one of the stressful occupations. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between perceived stress and psychological flexibility of nurses in psychiatric wards of Razi Psychiatric Training Center in Tehran.

In this descriptive-correlational study, the research population included nurses of Razi Psychiatric Training Center in Tehran in 2018. The sample consisted of 140 nurses of Razi psychiatric wards of Tehran who were randomly selected from all wards of the hospital. Demographic questionnaires, “Perceived Stress Scale”, and “Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - II “were used for data collection. Data were analyzed by SPSS.22.

The mean and standard deviation of nurses' scores in perceived stress component were 22.12 5 5.77 and in psychological flexibility component were 49.65±8.88. The correlation between perceived stress and psychological flexibility was inverse and significant.

The increase in perceived stress is correlated with a decrease in psychological flexibility. Strategies to increase psychological flexibility to reduce perceived stress in nurses are suggested.