This study aimed to explore the experience of nurses who work in small-medium sized psychiatric hospitals.

This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Using content analysis, face to face interview data from 10 nurses working in two small-medium sized psychiatric hospitals were analyzed.

Data analysis has been extracted into five domains (i.e., stress, crisis response, resource, support, and communication) and 11 subcategories (i.e., anxiety and tension, exposure to violence, workload, endure by myself, working in pairs principle is not followed, the replacement of a nurse’s vacancy with an assistant, lack of resources in emergencies, lack of compensation, lack of education for empowerment, lack of post-traumatic support, and non-cooperation).

Current research regarding night shift at private mental hospitals is insufficient. Prioritizing more nursing staff is required to improve the working environment. Nurses experienced anxiety, tension, exposure to violence, and excessive workload during the night shift, and endured these crises alone. In addition, an increasing number of nursing staff urgently felt the need to work in pairs and demanded more auxiliary staff for emergencies. Nurses also wanted sufficient compensation, education for empowerment, and post-traumatic support. Ultimately, cooperation with other departments is essential.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychiatric comorbidity rates, severity of psychological disorders, and factors predicting cormorbidities in disaster victims with PTSD.

Three hundred and fifty-three disaster victims who scored over the threshold to be classified as potentially meeting criteria for PTSD were selected data from Long-term Investigation of Disaster Victims and Development of Life-Friendly Relief Policy Technology in South Korea.

First, total comorbidity rate of depression or anxiety disorder only and both depression and anxiety disorder in individuals with PTSD was found in 37.4%. Second, the severity of psychological disorders increased with the number of comorbid disorders. Third, factors predicting comorbidities were sex (women), marital status (unmarried), economic distress (monthly income reduction and recipient of basic living) and low resilience.

The findings may help to identify vulnerable individuals that may develop other psychological disorders in individuals with PTSD and maximize treatment effects.