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Associations between leadership styles and psychological distress among nurses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

N. Rmadi ,
A. Hrairi ,
F. Ben Atia ,
N. Kotti ,
F. Dhouib ,
M. Hajjaji  and
K. Jmal Hammami
N. Rmadi*
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
A. Hrairi
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
F. Ben Atia
Affiliation:
Higher Institute of Nursing Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Kotti
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
F. Dhouib
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
M. Hajjaji
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
K. Jmal Hammami
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Leadership styles can either mitigate or exacerbate psychological distress, influencing job satisfaction, burnout, and overall well-being among nursing staff.

Objectives

This study aims to explore how different leadership styles impact psychological distress in nursing professionals.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among nurses working in public hospitals and polyclinics in Sfax region. The questionnaire included socio-professional characteristics, assessment of leadership styles the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) 6S and evaluation of nurses’ mental health using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale 6 (K6).

Results

A total of 200 physicians responded to the survey. The mean age was 33.24 ± 9.34 years with 70.3% being female. Mean scores of transformational, transactional and laissez faire styles were 25.6 ± 6.5, 12.8 ± 4.02 and 13.1 3.2 respectively. Psychological distress was likely to occur in 16.8% of the cases. Negative correlations were found between K6 score and transformational (p=0.00, r= - 0.81), transactional (p= 00, r=0.64) styles. However, laissez faire style was positively correlated with k6 score (p=0.024, r=0.16).

Conclusions

By emphasizing transformational and transactional leadership styles, healthcare leaders can reduce psychological distress among nurses, enhancing their well-being and improving the overall effectiveness of healthcare system.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Information

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 68 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 33rd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2025 , pp. S801 - S802
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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