The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study

Abstract Background The stressful work conditions that psychiatric nurses face on a daily basis can lead to constant exposure to a wide range of negative emotions and stressors, such as aggression, which can have serious negative consequences for their mental health and well-being. It seems that mor...

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Main Authors: Amir Mohamad Nazari, Seyedeh Narjes Mousavizadeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-08-01
Series:BMC Psychology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03259-x
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author Amir Mohamad Nazari
Seyedeh Narjes Mousavizadeh
author_facet Amir Mohamad Nazari
Seyedeh Narjes Mousavizadeh
author_sort Amir Mohamad Nazari
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The stressful work conditions that psychiatric nurses face on a daily basis can lead to constant exposure to a wide range of negative emotions and stressors, such as aggression, which can have serious negative consequences for their mental health and well-being. It seems that moral, cultural, and spiritual competencies are the crucial personality traits that contribute significantly to both individual mental well-being and the ability to effectively manage aggression. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the moral, cultural, and spiritual competencies of psychiatric nurses with the levels of aggression experienced by them. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2024 on 200 nurses working in the psychiatric department of four teaching hospitals (Iran, Razi, Rouzbeh, and Taleghani), Tehran, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select the participants. The participants completed self-administered questionnaires, including the Medical Science Graduates’ Cultural Competency Questionnaire, the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS), the Nurses’ Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R), and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test and linear regression analysis. Results The mean age of the participants was 35.13 ± 8.01 years. The mean scores of moral competence were 104.88 ± 19.34; cultural competence 200.02 ± 29.92, spiritual competence 102.06 ± 18.91, and aggression 59.69 ± 22.41. Findings showed that aggression had a statistically significant negative correlation with moral competence (r=-0.341, p < 0.001), cultural competence (r=-0.422, p < 0.001), and spiritual competence (r=-0.404, p < 0.001). The dimensions of spiritual competence (β=-1.189, P = 0.003), activism (β=-3.426, P < 0.001), justice (β = 4.948, P < 0.001), and professionalization and improvement of the quality of spiritual care (β = 2.091, P = 0.024) have the greatest effect on the psychiatric nurses’ aggression, respectively (Table 4). Conclusion This study concluded that nurses’ aggression may be reduced by strengthening their moral, cultural, and spiritual competencies. Clinical managers and health policymakers are encouraged to provide psychiatric nurses with education to improve their moral, cultural, and spiritual competency, which may lead to reduced anger. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-fb045a76864841ee901f02236bcba8bf2025-08-20T03:46:23ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-08-0113111010.1186/s40359-025-03259-xThe relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational studyAmir Mohamad Nazari0Seyedeh Narjes Mousavizadeh1Master’s Student in Medical-Surgical Nursing, Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Psychiatric Nursing and Management, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background The stressful work conditions that psychiatric nurses face on a daily basis can lead to constant exposure to a wide range of negative emotions and stressors, such as aggression, which can have serious negative consequences for their mental health and well-being. It seems that moral, cultural, and spiritual competencies are the crucial personality traits that contribute significantly to both individual mental well-being and the ability to effectively manage aggression. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the moral, cultural, and spiritual competencies of psychiatric nurses with the levels of aggression experienced by them. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2024 on 200 nurses working in the psychiatric department of four teaching hospitals (Iran, Razi, Rouzbeh, and Taleghani), Tehran, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select the participants. The participants completed self-administered questionnaires, including the Medical Science Graduates’ Cultural Competency Questionnaire, the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (SCCS), the Nurses’ Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R), and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test and linear regression analysis. Results The mean age of the participants was 35.13 ± 8.01 years. The mean scores of moral competence were 104.88 ± 19.34; cultural competence 200.02 ± 29.92, spiritual competence 102.06 ± 18.91, and aggression 59.69 ± 22.41. Findings showed that aggression had a statistically significant negative correlation with moral competence (r=-0.341, p < 0.001), cultural competence (r=-0.422, p < 0.001), and spiritual competence (r=-0.404, p < 0.001). The dimensions of spiritual competence (β=-1.189, P = 0.003), activism (β=-3.426, P < 0.001), justice (β = 4.948, P < 0.001), and professionalization and improvement of the quality of spiritual care (β = 2.091, P = 0.024) have the greatest effect on the psychiatric nurses’ aggression, respectively (Table 4). Conclusion This study concluded that nurses’ aggression may be reduced by strengthening their moral, cultural, and spiritual competencies. Clinical managers and health policymakers are encouraged to provide psychiatric nurses with education to improve their moral, cultural, and spiritual competency, which may lead to reduced anger. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03259-xCultural competenceMoral competenceSpiritual competenceAggressionNurses
spellingShingle Amir Mohamad Nazari
Seyedeh Narjes Mousavizadeh
The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study
BMC Psychology
Cultural competence
Moral competence
Spiritual competence
Aggression
Nurses
title The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study
title_full The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study
title_fullStr The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study
title_full_unstemmed The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study
title_short The relationship between moral, cultural, and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses: a descriptive correlational study
title_sort relationship between moral cultural and spiritual competences with aggression of psychiatric nurses a descriptive correlational study
topic Cultural competence
Moral competence
Spiritual competence
Aggression
Nurses
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03259-x
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