The Association between Life Satisfaction and the Extent of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Iranian Nurses: A Multicenter Survey

OBJECTIVE: The determinants of satisfaction of life (SWL) are poorly described among Iranian employed nurses. This study aimed to assess the effect of various factors including age, gender, marital status, depression, anxiety and stress on SWL among Iranian nurses. METHOD: Employed nurses in three teaching hospitals were invited to participate in this study. Ninety-four nurses (65 women and 29 men) participated in this study. Depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21) was used to measure the related variables. Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was used to assess SWL. Multivariate analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between multiple variables. RESULTS: A noticeable proportion of Iranian employed nurses were either dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with life (45%). Severe depression was related to lower scores of SWLS (P: 0.001, r = −0.32). The similar outcomes were detected between anxiety and stress scales, and SWLS (P: 0.023, r = −0.23 and P: 0.008, r = −0.27 for anxiety and stress, respectively). Although females were more vulnerable to depression (P: 0.010) and stress (P: 0.013), the overall effect of gender on SWL was insignificant (0.41). Satisfactions with financial power and work environment were associated with higher scores of SWLS (P: 0.030 and 0.042, respectively). Marital status was not related to severity of depression, anxiety, stress and SWLS (P: 0.39, 0.38, 0.80, and 0.61, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that poor satisfaction with financial status and work environment, depression, anxiety and stress are the major determinants of satisfaction with life among Iranian employed nurses.