S83-7_mahidol 32.pmd

Objective: To examine the prevalence of mental health disorder and its related factors among Thai nurses. Material and Method: This was cross-sectional descriptive study of 390 female nurses. They were asked to complete the questionnaire which covered personal history, working conditions, job stress and general health. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for mental health disorders. Results: Results revealed that 10.3 % of the nurses had poor mental health and 41.8%, had high job stress. The factors significantly associated with poor mental health were years employed, job stress, tranquilizer use and intent to leave the profession. Conclusion: Nurses who had high job stress and more than 20 years work experience were more likely to have poor mental health. Reduction of job stress especially in senior nurses significantly promotes mental health and may decrease prevalence of intent to leave the profession and tranquilizer use.