Role of Psychological Distress and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in the prediction of Post-Traumatic Stress in Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: during the covid-19 pandemic, nurses experienced a variety of psychological traumas due to their close encounters with patients.objectives: in this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the role of psychological distress and difficulty in emotion regulation in the prediction of post-traumatic stress in nurses during the covid-19 pandemic.methods: the present study was conducted based on a descriptive correlational design. the statistical population of the study consisted of male and female nurses working in medical centers in the fifth and sixth districts of tehran in 2021. a sample of 300 nurses was selected via the convenience sampling method, and the data were then collected using the questionnaires of post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological distress, and difficulty in emotion regulation.results: based on the results, post-traumatic stress was significantly positively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, rejection of emotional responses, impulse control difficulties, lack of emotional awareness, difficulty in performing purposeful behavior, limited access to emotional regulation strategies, and emotional state (p<0.01). the results of multiple regression analysis also illustrated that psychological distress and difficulty in emotion regulation predicted 75% of post-traumatic stress in nurses.conclusion: the results indicate that post-traumatic stress disorder was significantly correlated with psychological distress and difficulty in emotion regulation in nurses during the covid-19 pandemic. due to the fact that nurses have been infected with this deadly virus since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic and experienced a lot of stress, it is necessary to take measures to improve their mental health.