Verbal abuse and psychological disorders among nursing student interns in KSA

This study aimed to investigate the forms and frequency of verbal abuse (VA) among nursing student interns and determine the prevalence of psychological disorders (i.e. depression, stress, and anxiety) within this group.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban teaching hospital in KSA. Nursing student interns responded to the Verbal Abuse Questionnaire and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales.

A total of 54 interns completed the questionnaires; 55% of them had been exposed to one type of VA at least once a year, and 5% of them had experienced VA several times a week. 'Ignoring' was the most frequently experienced form of VA (50.8%), and feeling overwhelmed was the most commonly experienced emotional reaction (51.1%) to VA. 'Stop talking to the abusive person' was the most frequently reported behavioural reaction to VA (57.9%). Most of them (59.3%) did not report a sign of depression, but 18.5% of them had severe to extremely severe depression. Most interns (70.4%) did not report a sign of anxiety, but approximately 11.1% of them had severe to extremely severe anxiety. A majority (70.4%) of the interns did not report a sign of stress, and only 5.6% of them reported experiencing severe stress.

VA is a major problem that is encountered in clinical settings, especially by future nurses. The present findings underscore the need to further examine the levels and forms of VA that are experienced by them and their reactions to such stress-inducing behaviours.