ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2025
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Stress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses During COVID-19: Exploring the Mediating Role of Psychological Inflexibility and the Moderating Effect of Work Experience.
Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Subjective Workload and Cognitive Failure Among Emergency Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Analysis of Job Content and Job Burnout.Nursing open · 2026Article
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- Emotional Stability and Emotional Eating in Medical Students: Exploring Indirect Associations Involving Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms.Nutrients · 2026Observational
- Factors Associated with Wearable-Derived Physiological Stress Indicators Among Clinical Nurses: A Longitudinal Observational Study Using Continuous Monitoring.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Transformation of Empathic Care in the Digital Age: A Scoping Review on Digital Empathy from a Nursing Perspective.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Exposure to Conflict-Related News and Psychological Distress Among Nursing Students: The Mediating Role of Sleep Difficulties and Study Disruption.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on Intensive Care Unit Personnel: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey Assessment Before, During, and After the First Peak.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Mindfulness, Self-Efficacy, Job Stress, and Job Satisfaction in Associated Factors of Turnover Intention: A Regression-Based Path Analysis Among Direct Care Workers.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Impact of Moral Distress, Person-Centred Care, and Nursing Professional Pride on Turnover Intention Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Hostility in the ICU Waiting Room: Extrapunitive and Intropunitive Reactions Among Family Members.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Workplace Violence, Self-Perceived Resilience and Associations with Turnover Intention Among Emergency Department Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Burnout and Moral Injury in Healthcare Workers: An Observational Study in a Romanian Chronic Care Hospital.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Contributing Factors to Burnout in Healthcare Professionals-Does Emotional Intelligence Play a Protective Role? A Narrative Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
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5 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has placed intensive care unit (ICU) nurses under intense psychological pressure, increasing emotional and psychological stress. Two constructs-difficulties in emotion regulation and psychological inflexibility (i.e., low contact with the present moment and a lack of committed action based on personal values)-have been associated with increased perceived stress levels but remain underexplored in this population.
aimsThis study investigated whether psychological inflexibility mediates the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress in ICU nurses. It also examined whether years of ICU work experience moderate the direct relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with 210 ICU nurses (65.2% women; 34.8% men; mean age = 40.25 years ± 11.36) from Italian public hospitals. The participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and the Perceived Stress Scale. A moderated mediation model was tested to examine whether psychological inflexibility mediates the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress and whether years of ICU work experience moderate the path between these variables.
resultsHigher difficulties in emotion regulation predicted greater psychological inflexibility, which, in turn, predicted higher perceived stress. Psychological inflexibility fully mediated the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress. Additionally, years of ICU work experience significantly moderated the direct link between emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress. This relationship was strongest for nurses with 1-15 years of ICU experience. The model explained 33% of the variance in perceived stress.
conclusionsThis study highlights the importance of the novel construct of psychological inflexibility in the context of healthcare professionals and its role in shaping perceived stress. Addressing psychological inflexibility through targeted interventions may help mitigate stress and promote well-being among ICU nurses.
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