MENTAL HEALTH OF NURSES IN THE POST-COVID 19 ERA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN PESHAWAR

Background: Healthcare organizations continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including prolonged workforce shortages, rising labor costs, and increased staff burnout. Nurses routinely experience job-related stress and symptoms of burnout. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the mental health of nurses in the post-C0VID-19 era in Peshawar region, Pakistan. Methodology: Descriptive Cross-sectional study design was used. Data were collected using  DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, & stress scale) from N=317 nurses working in tertiary care hospital of Peshawar using convenience random sampling technique to assess the mental health of nurses. Data were analyzed through SPSS Version 22. Result: The study revealed that a significant number of nurses in public sector tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar experience depression, with an average score of 3.6782 %. The majority, n=256 (80.8%) participants reported normal levels of depression, 7.3 % (n=23) showed mild depression, whereas moderate depression was observed in 4.7% (n=15) and severe depression were only in 2.5% (n=8). Stress levels were reported with 44.2% (n=140) experiencing mild stress. Those experiencing moderate stress were 22.4% (n=71) among all the participants, and 7.3% (n=23) were affected by severe stress, and 1.9% (n=6) experienced extremely severe stress. Anxiety levels were also high among the nurses, with n=77 (24.3%) experiencing moderate anxiety, n=141 (44.5%) suffering from severe anxiety, and 99 (31.2%) reporting extremely severe anxiety. Depression showed a weak negative correlation with anxiety. Stress had a strong positive correlation with anxiety. Conclusion: The study shows that a significant number of nurses are experiencing various levels of depression, stress, and anxiety in the post covid-19 era. The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions to address the high levels of psychological distress among nurses.