The COVID-19 outbreak centrality and trauma symptoms in nurses: The mediating role of psychological inflexibility

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with negative psychological consequences, particularly amongst frontline workers, such as nurses; however, little is known about modifiable mechanisms underlying the development of such outcomes. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of psychological inflexibility in the relationship between the centrality of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-traumatic stress symptoms in nurses. Methods: The sample consisted of 672 Portuguese nurses, whose data was collected online, through self-report questionnaires. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore associations between variables, and the PROCESS macro was used to perform regression-based mediation analyses. Results: The observed results confirmed psychological inflexibility as a putative mediator between the centrality of the COVID-19 outbreak and trauma symptoms in nurses. Implications: These findings suggest that interventions directed at reducing psychological inflexibility are likely to attenuate the deleterious effects of the centrality of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses’ post-traumatic distress.