The Association between Emotional Labor, Self-Differentiation and Burnout among Psychiatric Nurses: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how emotional harmony effort, emotional dissonance regulation, and self-differentiation affect burnout among nurses in psychiatric hospitals. Methods: We employed a descriptive correlational design with a sample of 205 nurses who had more than one year of experience in psychiatric settings. Data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire that assessed emotional labor (including emotional harmony effort and emotional dissonance regulation), self-differentiation, and burnout. We analyzed factors influencing burnout using multiple linear regression. Results: Burnout was negatively correlated with emotional harmony effort and self-differentiation, while it was positively correlated with emotional dissonance regulation. Key predictors of burnout included age, job satisfaction in psychiatric nursing, emotional dissonance regulation, and self-differentiation. Conclusion: To mitigate burnout among nurses in psychiatric hospitals, it is crucial to minimize emotional labor associated with emotional dissonance regulation and to enhance self-differentiation. Interventions should focus on improving job satisfaction, providing training for emotional dissonance regulation, and promoting programs that foster self-understanding and internal insight.