Post-traumatic stress disorder among the staff of a mental health hospital: prevalence and risk factors
S. Afr. j. psychiatry (Online)
;
24: 1-6, 2018. tab
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1270862
ABSTRACT
Background:
Mental health service providers are frequently exposed to stress and violence in the line of duty. There is a dearth of data concerning the psychological sequelae of the frequent exposure to stress and violence, especially among those who work in resource-limited countries such as Botswana.Aim:
To determine the prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among mental health workers in a tertiary mental health institute in Botswana.Setting:
The study was conducted in Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, which is the only referral psychiatric hospital in Botswana.Methods:
The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. A total of 201 mental health workers completed a researcher-designed psycho-socio-demographic questionnaire, which included one neuroticism item of the Big Five Inventory, and a PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), which was used to assess symptoms of PTSD.Results:
Majority of the study participants were general nurses (n = 121, 60.5%) and females (n= 122, 60.7%). Thirty-seven (18.4%) of the participants met the criteria for PTSD. Exposure to violence in the past 12 months (AOR = 3.26; 95% CI 1.497.16) and high neuroticism score (AOR = 2.72; 95% CI 1.196.24) were significantly associated with the diagnosis of PTSD among the participants.Conclusion:
Post-traumatic stress disorder could result from stressful events encountered in the course of managing patients in mental health institutes and departments. Pre-placement personality evaluation of health workers to be assigned to work in psychiatric units and post-incident trauma counselling of those exposed to violence may be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of PTSD in mental hospital health care workers
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Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
/
Botswana
/
Mental Health
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Prevalence study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
S. Afr. j. psychiatry (Online)
Year:
2018
Type:
Article
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