Anger Suppression and Rumination Sequentially Mediates the Effect of Emotional Labor in Korean Nurses

Ji Eun Kim, Jeong Hoon Park and Soo Hyun Park
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Ji Eun Kim: Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Jeong Hoon Park: Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Soo Hyun Park: Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-9

Abstract: The degree of emotional labor in nurses has been associated with negative physical and psychological health indices. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional labor and depressive and anxiety symptoms in nurses. Specifically, the study addressed the question of whether anger suppression and anger rumination sequentially mediated the relationship. A total of 99 nurses was recruited from a university hospital in Korea. The questionnaires included instruments assessing emotional labor, anger suppression, anger rumination, as well as depressive and anxiety symptoms. Consistent with our hypothesis, there was a significant indirect effect of anger suppression and anger rumination on the relationship between emotional labor and depressive symptoms, as well as on the relationship between emotional labor and anxiety symptoms. The nurses’ degree of emotional labor, anger suppression, and anger rumination was associated with psychological adjustment. Thus, the impact of nurses’ negative affect needs to be adequately addressed, as inadequate resolution of anger may increase their vulnerability to experience depressive and anxiety symptoms. These findings may contribute to developing a strategy for enhancing nurses’ psychological health.

Keywords: nurses; emotional labor; anger; depression; anxiety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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