Effects of adult attachment and coping style on job burnout of nurses

Abstract

Objective To explore the relationship of adult attachment, coping style and job burnout among nurses. Methods Relationship Questionnaire(RQ) and Experience of close relationships(ECR) inventory were used to measure 360 nurses' adult attachment.Coping style scale and Maslach's Burnout Inventory-General Scale were used to measure subjects' coping strategies and job burnout. Results ①Distribution of adult attachment style in nurses were: 103 for secure, 86 for dismissing, 67 for preoccupied and 21 for fearful. ② There was significant positive correlation between attachment avoidance and denying the problem and mental disengagement(r=0.136); attachment anxiety was positively related to denying the problem and mental disengagement(r=0.386), and to avoiding the problems and shifting attention(r=0.347). ③ Attachment avoidance was significantly related to depersonalization(r=0.147); there were significant positive correlations between attachment anxiety and emotion exhaustion(r=0.362) and depersonalization(r=0.390). ④ There were no significant differences among four attachment groups on seeking emotional support and venting of emotions, avoiding the problems and shifting attention, and emotion exhaustion, ineffectiveness.⑤Regression analysis suggested that emotion exhaustion can be predicted by attachment anxiety and denying the problem and mental disengagement, while ineffectiveness only can be predicted by active coping focused on the problems. Conclusion Both adult attachment and coping style are contributed to job burnout among nurses. Key words: Adult attachment; Coping style; Job burnout; Nurses