Introduction
One of the factors with a significant impact on individuals’ mental and physical health is stress. This condition can cause serious health problems, requiring individuals to develop skills to prevent it. Among them, the most valuable is resilience, which includes pathophysiology and coping skills. It is worth noting that this aspect is important not only for individuals but also for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners who work with them to meet patients’ needs best. Thus, determining the effects of stress on the mind and body, and exploring an essential skill such as resilience, has a positive impact not only on people but also on mental health care providers.
Physical and Mental Effects of Stress
First, it is necessary to define stress and its impact on a person’s psychological and physical well-being. The World Health Organization (2023) defines it as a “state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation” (para. 1). It is also indicated that this condition is a natural human response, the main purpose of which is to help solve problems. Thus, we can say that stress, to a certain extent, is beneficial for the body. However, this aspect cannot be attributed to a permanent severe stress condition that can harm individuals.
A constant feeling of worry or mental tension can lead to a serious deterioration of the psychological state. Thus, it is highlighted that stress contributes to the development of issues such as depression against the background of becoming an individual who is easily agitated, frustrated, and moody (Marks, 2023). There are also changes in cognitive abilities such as focus, behavior regulation, procrastination, and substance abuse formation. These problems subsequently lead to physical abnormalities, such as headaches, insomnia, digestive disorders, and nervous or cardiovascular system disorders (Marks, 2023). The list of problems is quite extensive, requiring knowledge of how to prevent or mitigate them using various strategies and skills.
Psychological Resilience
When considering a topic such as stress, it is necessary to examine the phenomenon of psychological resilience. It is defined as the “process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress” (Denckla et al., 2020, p. 3). In other words, this is the ability of individuals to cope with stressful and traumatic events in ways that avoid long-term effects on mental and physical well-being. In the context of the topic under discussion, this skill is critically crucial for formation and development, as it significantly reduces the negative impact of stress on individuals. In addition, it has a positive effect on aspects such as quality of life and adaptability to changes in an individual’s life.
Thus, the main role of psychological resilience is the ability of people to withstand stressful situations. Pathophysiology and coping skills are particularly helpful in this framework. The first is a study of what changes stress can cause in body functions.
As already noted, the condition under discussion can cause the development of various kinds of disorders and abuse, which can lead to further issues with health and well-being. To limit the possibility of this problem, coping skills are valuable. As part of the psychological resilience skill, they represent the approaches that patients use to cope with stress. These often include problem-solving, getting social support, and maintaining a positive outlook.
Psychological Resilience in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners
It is important to recognize that psychological resilience has value not only for patients but also for the healthcare providers who work with them. Therefore, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners must cultivate this skill to address patient needs most effectively. Daily, PMHNPS face stress, which may be related to working conditions or the need to provide patient care.
This can cause a mental burden, which often remains unreleased. This circumstance can lead to “decreased nursing professionalism, poor quality of care, increased social and financial losses, and increased turnover and resignation” (Kim & Chang, 2022, p. 1). Thus, stress can cause significant problems in medical practice.
For me, as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, resilience is valuable because it directly affects the quality and effectiveness of my work. When stress becomes overwhelming, indicators such as engagement, productivity, and motivation can significantly decrease. This aspect suggests that patients can suffer greatly and that I can best meet their needs. Therefore, without developing a high degree of psychological resilience, I can harm not only myself, but also patients, worsening their psychological state.
Healthy Coping Mechanisms and Areas of Improvement
Several healthy coping mechanisms can help guide the setting of healthy boundaries between work and home life. First of all, I adhere to the rule that I never discuss or bring my work problems into my personal life. This is because at home, I want to get away from work stress as much as possible and relax so that I can come to the workplace with renewed vigor.
In addition, I use journaling as a coping mechanism to deal with stressful cases. This practice helps increase mindfulness and resilience, which are vital to my profession (Hanna & Pidgeon, 2018). Writing down my daily experiences and emotions helps me let go of negative emotions and reflect on the events that happened to me.
An improvement I would like to set as a goal for myself is to strengthen my resilience when working with particularly difficult patients. Working on this skill will help me limit my excessive sensitivity and involvement in other people’s problems. This need is because I often transfer the difficulties of patients to me, which is reflected in increased stress. Therefore, I need to be able to distinguish this aspect to help individuals most effectively and reduce additional stress for myself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a significant number of stress factors in the work of the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner that can cause negative physical and mental consequences. This can be a serious problem for healthcare providers, as it can hinder the process of providing help and care to individuals who need it most. Thus, the development of psychological resilience, which involves the ability to resist and cope with stress, is of critical value. This aspect is necessary for both patients and practitioners, as it ensures the satisfaction of needs, improved well-being, and a higher overall quality of life. For medical professionals, it is vital to identify healthy coping mechanisms that will help maintain a clear separation between personal and professional life and become effective strategies to limit stress and its undesirable effects.
References
Denckla, C. A., Cicchetti, D., Kubzansky, L. D., Seedat, S., Teicher, M. H., Williams, D. R., & Koenen, K. C. (2020). Psychological resilience: An update on definitions, a critical appraisal, and research recommendations. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1).
Kim, E. Y., & Chang, S. O. (2022). Exploring nurse perceptions and experiences of resilience: a meta-synthesis study. BMC Nursing, 21(1).
Hanna, A., & Pidgeon, A. (2018). Leveraging mindfulness to build resilience and professional quality of life in human service professionals. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 3(2), 1-36.
World Health Organization. (2023). Stress.
Marks, H. (2023). Stress symptoms. WebMD.
