Stress and coping strategies in community psychiatric nurses: a Q-methodological study

With the development of the concept of community care there has been a significant expansion of the community psychiatric nurse (CPN) profession. The present study attempts to examine which aspects of their work CPNs currently find stressful. The study also examines the various strategies which CPNs feel to be useful in attempting to cope with such occupational stress. Forty-four CPNs in four health districts participated in this Q-methodological study which provided the opportunity for CPNs to construct their own concepts of stressors and coping strategies. The results obtained indicated that CPNs identified nine distinct areas of stress within their work, along with 12 distinct coping strategies which they considered useful in attempting to deal with such stress. The implications of these findings are discussed.