Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP (Dec 2015)

Depression and suicide risk among nursing professionals: an integrative review

  • Darlan dos Santos Damásio Silva,
  • Natália Vieira da Silva Tavares,
  • Alícia Regina Gomes Alexandre,
  • Daniel Antunes Freitas,
  • Mércia Zeviani Brêda,
  • Maria Cícera dos Santos de Albuquerque,
  • Valfrido Leão de Melo Neto

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-623420150000600020
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 49, no. 6
pp. 1023 – 1031

Abstract

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Abstract OBJECTIVE Discussing the factors associated with major depression and suicide risk among nursing professionals. METHOD An integrative review in PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO and BDENF databases, between 2003 and 2015. RESULTS 20 published articles were selected, mostly from between 2012 and 2014, with significant production in Brazil. Nursing professionals are vulnerable to depression when young, married, performing night work and having several jobs, and when they have a high level of education, low family income, work overload, high stress, insufficient autonomy and a sense of professional insecurity and conflict in the family and workrelationship. Suicide risk was correlated with the presence of symptoms of depression, high levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low personal accomplishment; characteristics of Burnout Syndrome. CONCLUSION Suicide risk among nursing professionals is associated with symptoms of depression and correlated with Burnout Syndrome, which can affect work performance.

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