Nursing Competencies in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During Armed Conflict in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: To evaluate nurses' self-perceived mental health and psychosocial support competencies and examine variations across key demographic and institutional characteristics.

BACKGROUND

Yemen's ongoing conflict has precipitated one of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies, with over 21.6 million people requiring assistance. Nurses are key mental health providers in this crisis, yet their preparedness to deliver quality mental health and psychosocial support remains largely unassessed.

METHODS

This was a multisite, cross-sectional, descriptive study. It adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Data were collected from 100 registered nurses across eight Yemeni hospitals between March and May 2024 using a 42-item questionnaire on clinical, ethical, and systems competencies. Data were analyzed with the statistical package for the social sciences using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

The findings indicated moderate overall competency levels. While nurses demonstrated strong performance in ethical practice and cultural sensitivity, notable deficiencies were observed in trauma care and depression management. Significant disparities emerged by education level, type of department, and hospital sector.

DISCUSSION: The results offer evidence-based guidance for developing context-appropriate mental health and psychosocial support interventions in Yemen and similar conflict-affected settings.

CONCLUSION

The study highlights major gaps in nurses' competencies amid Yemen's humanitarian crisis, calling for urgent action to implement targeted training, address inequities in nursing education, and strengthen institutional support for frontline providers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: In high-stress conflict environments, it is imperative to integrate mental health and psychosocial support into primary and general hospital care to ensure comprehensive and equitable access to care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: Policies must build nurses' capacity for managing war-related psychological impacts.