Affiliation:
1. Department of Critical Care Medicine Lanzhou University Second Hospital Lanzhou China
2. School of Nursing Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
3. Department of Nursing Lanzhou University Second Hospital Lanzhou China
4. First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
5. First school of clinical medicine Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
6. Department of Surgical Oncology Lanzhou University Second Hospital Lanzhou China
7. Department of Liver Disease branch Lanzhou University Second Hospital Lanzhou China
Abstract
AbstractAimsThe aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of alexithymia in intensive care unit nurses and determine the associated factors.DesignA multi‐center, cross‐sectional study.MethodsIn total, 485 nurses in intensive care unit were recruited from 53 hospitals in China. Data collection tools used in the study included demographic characteristics, the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), and the 20‐item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS‐20). SPSS 25.0 software (Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used to preform data analysis.ResultsAbout 43.7% of intensive care unit nurses were classified as alexithymia in the whole sample (males: 50%, females: 43%). The median TAS‐20 score was 60 (interquartile range = 9). The study found that alexithymia was significantly associated with marital status, whether living alone, working years, and social support (Adjusted R Squared = 0.194, F = 6.466, p < 0.01), while emotional intelligence was not statistically significant with alexithymia.ConclusionsAlexithymia is a psychological problem with high incidence in intensive care unit nurses. In this study, being unmarried or divorced, living alone, and having fewer years of work (≤5 years) were associated with a higher risk of alexithymia. Interventions that strengthen social support may also help improve the mental health of ICU nurses.