Psychological factors affecting nurses’ perceptions of gaslighting damage

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the influence of psychological factors such as highly sensitive person, intolerance of uncertainty, depression, and self-esteem on nurses’ perceptions of gaslighting damage.Methods: The participants were 178 nurses working in hospitals nationwide. Data were collected through a non-face-to-face approach using an online survey platform (Google Forms) with self-reported questionnaires. Perceptions of gaslighting damage were measured using the victim gaslighting questionnaire (VGQ). The collected data were analyzed with statistical methods such as independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS 25.0.Results: Of the participants, 94.4% were female. The participants’ average age was 32.7 years old, 60.2% were unmarried, and 86.0% were staff nurses. The mean score of the VGQ was 40.49. There were statistically significant differences in the VGQ according to marital status, participants’ time in their current department, total clinical career, and type of medical institution. The perception of gaslighting damage was statistically significantly positively correlated with intolerance of uncertainty, highly sensitive person, depression, and self-esteem. The most influential factor on nurses’ perception of gaslighting damage was intolerance of uncertainty (β=.32, <i>p</i><.001), followed by depression (β=.30, <i>p</i><.001) and highly sensitive person (β=.23, <i>p</i>=.001). The total explanation of these variables for the perception of gaslighting damage by nurses was about 75.0%.Conclusion: This study suggests that it is necessary to develop an intervention program to reduce negative psychological factors affecting gaslighting in nurses and to cultivate nurses’ strength to overcome gaslighting damage.