Relationships between dimensions of fatigue and psychological distress among public hospital nurses

Background: Fatigue and psychological distress are fairly common among nursing personnel, but their relationship is not clearly understood. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationships between dimensions of fatigue and psychological distress among 699 public hospital nurses in Iran. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used for evaluation of fatigue and psychological distress, respectively. Results: The total fatigue score of the MFI-20 was 52.5 (SD = 11.8). The general fatigue (mean +/- SD = 13.2 +/- 3.1) and reduced motivation (mean +/- SD = 9.2 +/- 2.7) were the fatigue dimensions with the highest and lowest mean scores, respectively. The percentage of psychological distress (e.g., those nurses scored above the cut-off point [GHQ-12 = 4]) was 29.1%. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that general (P < 0.001), physical (P < 0.001) and mental (P < 0.001) aspects of fatigue were significantly related to the psychological distress, so that the scores of these fatigue dimensions were significantly higher for those nurses with a higher level of psychological distress (above the cut-off point) than those with a lower level of psychological distress (below the cut-off point). Conclusion: The results emphasize the need for multi-component interventions aimed at decreasing both mental and physical fatigue, and consequently reducing the psychological distress among this group of healthcare professionals.