[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).


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.


CONCLUSIONS
The attendees assessed the course as very useful.
Borge
Lisbet
L
Modum Bad, Vikersund. lisbet.borge@modum-bad.no
Martinsen
Egil W
EW
Hoffart
Randi-Ann
RA
Larsen
Sigrid
S
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009727:Nurses, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires