Background: According to previous studies, temperament predicts a large share of the variance in job stress. It may be necessary for mental health practitioners to offer intervention strategies in accordance with individual temperament.
Aims: To investigate the relationship between job stress and temperament among nurses in a general hospital and to provide insight into personality traits influencing their mental or physical health.
Methods: A questionnaire survey of nurses in a general hospital. Work stress was measured using the Japanese version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) scale. Temperament was assessed by a Japanese version of Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to determine the independent contribution of temperament to effort-reward ratio and over-commitment.
Results: Response rate was 48% (326/685). Temperament predicted part of the variance of the four ERI ratios (effort-reward ratio 26%; effort-esteem ratio 27%; effort-promotion ratio 26%; and effort-security ratio 18%) and also of over-commitment (38%). Depressive temperament influenced all four ERI ratios and over-commitment. Anxious temperament influenced only over-commitment.
Conclusions: Nurses with depressive or anxious temperaments should be identified, monitored for signs of job stress and offered interventions to prevent adverse physical and mental effects.