ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN NURSES WORKING IN GOVERNMENT TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITALS OF PESHAWAR KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH JOB STRESS

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and intensity of anxiety and depression and its relationship with job stress among the nursing staff. Methodology: This cross sectional analytical descriptive study was conducted in three teaching hospitals of Peshawar from 1" August 2006 to 30th November 2006. Convenient sampling was used. The sample consisted of 700 nurses. Sociodemographic details were collected through a proforma. Self rating translated Job Stress Questionnaire was administered followed by self rating Urdu version of AKUAD scale for estimation of job stress and intensity of anxiety and depression. SPSS version 16 was used for statistics. Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 100% with mean score of 41±10.70 and job stress 38.96±18.76. The prevelance of mild, moderate,severe and very severe degrees of anxiety and depression was 55.6%,39.3%,4.6% and 0.6% respectively. There was no significant correlation between total scores on (AKUADS) and job stress on JSQ (0.836 P>0.5). Five items of job stress: Inability to satisfy patients (0.022, P < 0.5), health hazards (o.oo3, P < o.5), dealing violent patients (0.001,P< 0.5),dealing abusive patients(0.043<0.5) and shift work(0.027, P <0.05) showed statistically negative correlation with severity of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: All nurses in our study had anxiety and depression, majority were in mild to moderate intensity range. Although no significant relationship was observed between anxiety and depression and job stress as a whole, yet significant negative relationship with some aspects of job stress was found. The findings reflected a public health issue.