[Quality of life and mental health among nurses attending courses on the prevention of professional burnout].

BACKGROUND

In a collaboration that started in 2001, the Norwegian Nurses' Association and Modum Bad Centre for Mental Health have offered burnout-preventing courses at Modum Bad's resource section for health care professionals, Villa Sana. We have assessed results among the attendees of the first six courses (mean age of 48.3 years, range 35-61) and compared them to results with the same rating scales among 50 breast cancer survivors (mean age 49.3 years, range 31-66).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Informed consent was obtained from 45 attendees (of a total of 47) who filled in self-rating scales assessing level of depression, anxiety and quality of life and a comprehensive questionnaire about their health, work and family situation. The course was assessed on the last day.

RESULTS

The majority of attendees had symptoms of depression and anxiety and assessed their quality of life as "average". In comparison, the breast cancer survivors had significantly less psychiatric symptoms and reported higher quality of life. Two thirds of the attendees saw a connection between their problems and work and private life; 33 thought that the course had helped them clarifying important issues in their life.

INTERPRETATION

The attendees assessed the course as very useful.