MENTAL-HEALTH STATUS OF GREEK FEMALE NURSES

This study investigated various PsYchological aspects of Greek female nurses who worked in a variety of hospital settings. One hundred and t wenty-six female nurses were given the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ( STAI) and the Symptom Check List-90-R (SCL-90-R). The nurses scored si gnificantly higher on both of the STAI scales i.e. state and trait anx iety as well as on many of the SCL-90-R scales i.e. the General Sympto m Index, somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity , depression, anxiety and paranoid ideation, compared to the adjusted norms. The nurses who work in a General Hospital setting appear to be more psychologically disturbed than psychiatric nurses. It was further found that psychological symptoms were more common in younger and les s experienced nurses, while the nurses' rank, years of education, the amount of time spent with patients and duties worked in intensive care units do not influence the manifestations of psychological difficulti es. The above findings are discussed in relation to the pertinent lite rature and some suggestions are made regarding the necessity of improv ing nurses' training and environmental management in Greece.