Socio-demographic influence on the level depressive symptomology among nurses on shift-work shedule

Abstract

The study examined socio-demographic variables as correlates of depression among nurses in private and public hospitals with the aim of determining the influence sex on the level of depressive symptoms among nurses. It also ascertained the level of depressive symptomatology among nurses in private and public hospitals. The study employed a cross-sectional survey of both private and public hospital nurses. Participants for this study were drawn from a population of nurses from two private and one General hospital namely: Ajayi Medical Centre Itunpate Ikorodu, Newgate Hospital Lagos road Ikorodu and General Hospital Ikorodu in the Lagos metropolis. A total of two hundred and fifty (250) nurses were sampled using a convenient sampling method. The nurses comprised of 100 males and 150 females. Data was gathered using a self-report questionnaire; Questions on bio-data was used to gather demographic information form participants and Beck Depression Inventory was used to elicit the experience of depressive symptoms from respondents. The results show that male participants experienced a higher level of depressive symptoms than their female counterparts.Although, male nurses self-reported a higher level of depressive symptomatology than female nurses the difference was not statistically significant, (P.0.05,df=248,t=1.65). The result also show that nurses in a public hospital exhibited significantly higher level of depressive symptoms than their counterparts in private hospitals (P>0.05,df=248,t=1.65), this indicates that nurses in public hospitals experience a higher level of depressive symptoms than those in private hospitals. The study concluded that nurses who are on a shift-work schedule experience depressive symptoms, health care practitioners need to be conscious of this, and adequate recovery period should be put in place for those on shift-work.