Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms among nurses exposed to workplace violence: a person-centered approach

Abstract

Background Cognitive strategies are preferred among nurses who have limited opportunities in the workplace to use behavioral strategies to cope with negative life events. Aims To explore whether different cognitive emotion regulation profiles could be distinguished in nurses exposed to workplace violence, and to investigate whether such profiles had differential associations with depressive symptoms. Method An online survey was conducted among nurses exposed to workplace violence (N = 399). Latent profile analysis was performed to identify discrete profiles based on the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars method was applied to compare the latent profiles on the depressive symptoms. Results Seven latent profiles were identified: Low Regulators, Medium Regulators, High Regulators, Intensely Adaptive Regulators, Moderately Adaptive Regulators, Intensely Maladaptive Regulators, and Moderately Maladaptive Regulators. High Regulators had the highest level of depressive symptoms. Although using less adaptive strategies, Low Regulators did not report significantly more depressive symptoms than Medium Regulators, Intensely Maladaptive and Moderately Maladaptive Regulators. Conclusions The adaptability of cognitive emotion regulation strategies depends on the conjunction of different strategies one person has at his disposal. Cognitive emotion regulation skill training should focus on flexible implementation of strategies and decreasing use of maladaptive strategies.