The moderating effects of work disengagement between centrality of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and subsequent psychopathological symptoms in nurses

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses were among the most vulnerable groups to develop psychopathological symptoms over time. Literature has been defining work disengagement as a coping mechanism for handling extreme occupational stress, but little is known about its impact on nurses’ adaptation outcomes after the pandemic. The present quantitative longitudinal study aimed to explore work disengagement as a moderator in the relationship between the centrality of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and nurses’ subsequent mental health outcomes. Furthermore, the conditional effects of event centrality were analyzed for different levels of work disengagement. A total of 180 nurses working in Portugal completed online self-report questionnaires at two timepoints. At T1, centrality of the pandemic outbreak and work disengagement were examined; at T2, mental health outcomes were evaluated. Attrition rate was 73%. Work disengagement moderated the relationship between event centrality and depressive, trauma symptoms, and fear of COVID-19, but not anxiety symptoms. This association was significant for high and moderate levels of work disengagement, and not for low levels. The development of interventions targeting event centrality and work disengagement is crucial for preventing the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over time, particularly for nurses who experience greater work disengagement.