THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUMINATION AND DEPRESSION IN NURSES WORKING IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNITS

Background & Aim: Nurses are among the most significant groups engaged in shift work.The challenges they face not only affect their health and contribute to various mental disorders, such as depression but also pose risks to the well-being of the patients they care for.Rumination is a cognitive process that significantly contributes to the exacerbation and maintenance of depressive symptoms.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between rumination and depression among nurses working in Intensive Care Units.Materials & Methods: All nurses working in the intensive care units of hospitals in Urmia were included in the study through quota sampling method.Considering a potential attrition rate of 10%, a total of 385 qualified nurses were selected.The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) were used to collect data.Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and the Pearson correlation test.Results: The findings indicated that the mean depression score among the nurses in this study was 33.58 16.14, and the mean rumination score was 36.56 14.25.There was a positive and significant correlation between rumination and depression among the nurses (P<0.05). Conclusion:This study found a high prevalence of depression among nurses, which can be attributed to the challenges they face in their profession.The study also found that rumination can exacerbate depression in this group.By offering practical suggestions to help nurses manage their rumination, effective measures can be taken to alleviate their depression.It is recommended that activities such as meditation, yoga, and exercise be organized and implemented to mitigate stress and rumination while promoting relaxation among nurses.