Burnout among psychiatric nurses: a scoping review of prevalence, contributing factors, and conceptual insights

Background Psychiatric nurses face high emotional demands, patient aggression, and complex clinical environments, placing them at elevated risk of burnout. Although research has expanded, evidence remains fragmented across settings, instruments, and outcomes. This scoping review mapped recent studies to clarify prevalence patterns, contributing factors, and conceptual insights relevant to psychiatric nursing practice. Methods Following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA‑ScR reporting standards, we searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for English‑ and Farsi‑language publications from January 2015 to December 2025. Searches were executed on 31 December 2025 using combinations of “psychiatric nursing” AND “burnout.” Two reviewers independently screened 1,402 records, resolved disagreements through discussion and adjudication, and charted data. Fifty‑two studies met inclusion criteria. Evidence was synthesized descriptively and thematically, then interpretively integrated with established theoretical frameworks. Results Burnout prevalence among psychiatric nurses ranged from low to high severity. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment were the most frequently reported dimensions. Antecedents clustered into demographic, individual, organizational, psychosocial, and motivational domains, with high workload, workplace violence, emotional labour, and low organizational justice consistently associated with burnout. Consequences included depression, anxiety, impaired caring ability, turnover intention, and reduced care quality. Variability in measurement tools and study designs limited direct comparison across contexts. Conclusion Burnout among psychiatric nurses is pervasive and multidimensional, shaped by the interaction of emotional‑trauma demands, organizational structures, and professional identity dynamics. An interpretive conceptual framework—the Psychiatric Nursing Burnout Multisystem Model (PNB‑MM)—was developed to integrate these findings and illustrate how emotional‑trauma exposure, organizational conditions, and identity dynamics intersect within broader system contexts. Multilevel strategies addressing organizational, contextual, and identity‑related factors are needed to support workforce sustainability. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and intervention‑focused designs to strengthen evidence for practice and policy. Registration This review was not registered. Protocol No protocol was prepared.