Turnover intention and associated factors among psychiatric nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Turnover intention (TI) among psychiatric nurses is generally reported to be high, imposing significant financial and operational burdens on healthcare systems and threatening care quality.

This study aimed to provide one of the first global pooled estimates of TI and its associated factors focused specifically on psychiatric nurses, through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Pooled prevalence and mean scores were estimated using a random-effects model, with heterogeneity and publication bias also examined.

Analysis of 29 studies (36,507 participants) revealed a pooled TI prevalence of 34.1% and a pooled mean TI score of 33.1 (on a 0-100 scale). Subgroup analysis of standardized mean scores indicated significantly higher TI in studies from Asia and Africa compared to Europe and Australia (p < 0.001); however, no statistically significant regional differences were observed in the prevalence-based subgroup analysis (p = 0.210). Key associated factors identified were organizational (e.g., leadership, support), job-related (e.g., burnout, stress), and individual factors (e.g., age, resilience).

Despite very high heterogeneity across studies, pooled estimates suggest that approximately one-third of psychiatric nurses report turnover intention. Given the substantial methodological heterogeneity, these findings should be interpreted as descriptive rather than definitive. Nevertheless, the consistent identification of modifiable organizational factors highlights the need for targeted retention interventions.