The Effect of Perceived Stress on Psychological Distress and Psychological Well-Being with a Mediating Role of Sense of Coherence in Nurses

The nursing profession is associated with difficult and stressful conditions and some psychological consequences. Also, one of the most important health potentials described in theoretical and research bases is the sense of coherence. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of perceived stress on psychological distress and psychological well-being with the mediating role of sense of coherence in nurses.

The present study was a cross-sectional correlational study. The research community included all nurses working in hospitals and medical centers in Tehran. In this study, 200 people were selected by convenience sampling method. The research tools are: Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (1983), Kessler's psychological distress questionnaire (2003), Ryff Psychological well-being scale (1989), Antonovsky’s Sence of Coherence Scale (1993). Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling and SPSS and AMOS version 23 software were used for data analysis.

The results of the findings show the fit of the desired model. In addition, the obtained results indicate a direct, positive and significant effect between perceived stress and psychological distress (T=5.556; P<0.001; β=0.385). Also, there is a direct, negative and significant effect between perceived stress and psychological well-being (T=3.407; P<0.001; β=0.173). In addition, the sense of coherence played a mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress and psychological well-being.

The results of this study show the importance of the mediating role of sense of coherence in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress and psychological well-being. In other words, the sense of coherence acts as a health potential in a stressful work environment; therefore, it is necessary to design interventions based on this component, because it can probably significantly change a person's physical and psychological functions in a stressful work environment.