The relationship between hospital violence and self-efficacy expectation among healthcare professionals during major public health events: The role of mental health and caring patients.

BackgroundMajor public health events have wide-ranging and far-reaching effects, while also causing significant psychological problems for healthcare professionals, particularly those directly involved in patient care.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to explore the mediating role of mental health and the moderating role of caring for COVID-19 patients in the relationship between hospital violence and self-efficacy expectation among Chinese healthcare professionals.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in the early stage of the epidemic. A total of 3006 Chinese healthcare professionals completed the assessment of hospital violence, self-efficacy expectation (SEE), and mental health using a set of instruments, including the visual analog scale (VAS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).ResultsThe study found that hospital violence experience was significantly correlated with higher depressive symptoms (r = 0.168, p < 0.001), higher anxiety (r = 0.171, p < 0.001), and lower SEE (r = -0.062, p < 0.01). The association between hospital violence and lower self-efficacy expectations was stronger among those who directly provided healthcare services to patients (B = -5.35, p < 0.01) than among those who did not provide direct patient care (B = -2.07, p < 0.05). Depression and anxiety, as mediating variables, accounted for 54.4% and 48.66% of the total effect of the relationship between hospital violence and SEE, respectively.ConclusionsDuring major public health events, experiences of workplace violence may reduce the self-efficacy expectations of healthcare professionals, particularly among those who directly provide patient care. Mental health plays a mediating role in this relationship.