Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Psychiatric nurses experience unique emotional challenges, requiring management of both their own emotions and those of patients with mental health disorders. Emotional labor, particularly surface acting, has been identified as a significant stressor contributing to burnout. This...
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2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Nursing |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03487-x |
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| author | Tingting Jin Shasha Hong Jie Liu Linhui Liu Suilin Jia Guanghui Shen |
| author_facet | Tingting Jin Shasha Hong Jie Liu Linhui Liu Suilin Jia Guanghui Shen |
| author_sort | Tingting Jin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Psychiatric nurses experience unique emotional challenges, requiring management of both their own emotions and those of patients with mental health disorders. Emotional labor, particularly surface acting, has been identified as a significant stressor contributing to burnout. This study examines how emotion regulation strategies might moderate the relationship between emotional labor and burnout. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 244 psychiatric nurses. Participants completed questionnaires assessing emotional labor, emotion regulation strategies, and burnout. Multiple regression and moderation analyses were performed. Results Surface acting was positively associated with burnout (β = 0.44, p < 0.001), while natural expression (β = -0.19, p = 0.02) was negatively associated with burnout. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with burnout (β = -0.44, p < 0.001), while expressive inhibition was positively associated with burnout (β = 0.15, p = 0.04). Furthermore, cognitive reappraisal significantly moderated the relationship between surface acting and burnout (β = -0.57, p = 0.01). Simple slope analysis revealed that the association between surface acting and burnout was strongest at low levels of cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.50, p < 0.001) and weakest at high levels (β = 0.22, p = 0.004), becoming non-significant when cognitive reappraisal exceeded a standardized value of 1.38. Conclusion Cognitive reappraisal serves as a protective factor against the detrimental effects of surface acting on burnout among psychiatric nurses. Interventions should focus on minimizing reliance on surface acting while enhancing cognitive reappraisal skills through mindfulness-based techniques, potentially improving resilience in emotionally demanding environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5dec277b767d40ffae0957b477e94f5a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6955 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Nursing |
| spelling | doaj-art-5dec277b767d40ffae0957b477e94f5a2025-08-20T03:45:23ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-07-012411710.1186/s12912-025-03487-xEmotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional studyTingting Jin0Shasha Hong1Jie Liu2Linhui Liu3Suilin Jia4Guanghui Shen5Wenzhou Seventh People’s HospitalWenzhou Seventh People’s HospitalWenzhou Seventh People’s HospitalLishui Second People’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou Seventh People’s HospitalWenzhou Seventh People’s HospitalAbstract Background Psychiatric nurses experience unique emotional challenges, requiring management of both their own emotions and those of patients with mental health disorders. Emotional labor, particularly surface acting, has been identified as a significant stressor contributing to burnout. This study examines how emotion regulation strategies might moderate the relationship between emotional labor and burnout. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 244 psychiatric nurses. Participants completed questionnaires assessing emotional labor, emotion regulation strategies, and burnout. Multiple regression and moderation analyses were performed. Results Surface acting was positively associated with burnout (β = 0.44, p < 0.001), while natural expression (β = -0.19, p = 0.02) was negatively associated with burnout. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with burnout (β = -0.44, p < 0.001), while expressive inhibition was positively associated with burnout (β = 0.15, p = 0.04). Furthermore, cognitive reappraisal significantly moderated the relationship between surface acting and burnout (β = -0.57, p = 0.01). Simple slope analysis revealed that the association between surface acting and burnout was strongest at low levels of cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.50, p < 0.001) and weakest at high levels (β = 0.22, p = 0.004), becoming non-significant when cognitive reappraisal exceeded a standardized value of 1.38. Conclusion Cognitive reappraisal serves as a protective factor against the detrimental effects of surface acting on burnout among psychiatric nurses. Interventions should focus on minimizing reliance on surface acting while enhancing cognitive reappraisal skills through mindfulness-based techniques, potentially improving resilience in emotionally demanding environments.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03487-xEmotional laborSurface actingBurnoutCognitive reappraisalPsychiatric nursesEmotion regulation |
| spellingShingle | Tingting Jin Shasha Hong Jie Liu Linhui Liu Suilin Jia Guanghui Shen Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study BMC Nursing Emotional labor Surface acting Burnout Cognitive reappraisal Psychiatric nurses Emotion regulation |
| title | Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | emotion regulation strategy moderates the impact of emotional labor on burnout in psychiatric nurses a cross sectional study |
| topic | Emotional labor Surface acting Burnout Cognitive reappraisal Psychiatric nurses Emotion regulation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03487-x |
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