Coping Strategies Among Psychiatric Nurses in a Mental Health Setting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Aim: Psychiatric nurses are frequently exposed to emotionally demanding situations that may increase their risk of occupational stress. Coping strategies are relevant to how psychiatric nurses respond to demanding occupational situations, although their effectiveness and relationships with psychological or professional outcomes were not assessed in this study. This study aimed to assess coping strategies among psychiatric nurses and examine their associations with selected demographic and professional characteristics. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 psychiatric nurses working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected in person using a structured questionnaire over a period of four months from April to July 2024, comprising demographic and professional characteristics and the Brief COPE inventory. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine coping strategies and their differences according to demographic and professional characteristics. Because multiple comparisons were conducted across coping domains, the Benjamini–Hochberg false-discovery-rate procedure was applied. Results: Psychiatric nurses reported the highest mean scores among the assessed coping domains for positive reframing (5.02 ± 1.21), instrumental support (4.68 ± 1.65), active coping (4.62 ± 1.55), and planning (4.62 ± 1.54), based on their mean domain scores. In contrast, behavioral disengagement (2.62 ± 1.69) and humor (2.52 ± 1.30) had the lowest mean domain scores. In the unadjusted analyses, self-blame differed significantly by nationality (p = 0.001), with Saudi nurses reporting higher scores (3.65 ± 1.85) than non-Saudi nurses (2.20 ± 2.05). Venting also differed by years of experience (p = 0.013), with the highest scores among nurses with <5 years of experience (4.24 ± 1.74). However, after Benjamini–Hochberg false-discovery-rate adjustment for multiple comparisons, neither the difference in self-blame by nationality (adjusted p = 0.065) nor the difference in venting by years of experience (adjusted p = 0.423) remained statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were observed across coping domains according to gender, educational qualification, or department after adjustment. Conclusions: Psychiatric nurses reported greater use of positive reframing, instrumental support, active coping, and planning, while behavioral disengagement and humor had the lowest mean scores. Although unadjusted analyses identified differences in self-blame by nationality and venting years of experience, these differences were no longer statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. These findings provide descriptive information on coping patterns among psychiatric nurses and may help identify areas for supportive initiatives and future research within psychiatric nursing settings.