The Relationship of Job and Life Satisfaction With Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Irritability/Anger in Nurses

Bogusława Serzysko^1*Renata Mroczkowska²Magdalena Kamińska³Beata Podsiadło⁴Grzegorz Żarczyński⁵Anna Krajza⁶

• ¹Departament of Halthcare, Higher School of Applied Sciences in Ruda Śląska, Poland, Ruda Śląska, Poland
• ²Institute of Health Sciences, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
• ³Academy of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,, Nowy Sącz, Poland
• ⁴Silesian Medical University in Katowice Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
• ⁵Departament of health, College of Health Sciences in Bydgoszcz, Nursing Institute Bydgoszcz, Poland, Bygdoszcz, Poland
• ⁶Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology, National Research Institute Gliwice, Gliwice, Poland

Introduction: The nursing profession involves substantial emotional and organizational demands, which may negatively affect nurses' mental health and overall satisfaction with life and work. Objective: To assess the levels of anxiety, depression, and irritability/anger symptoms in nurses and examine their associations with life and job satisfaction. In this study, the HADS-M subscale assessing irritability/anger was used. It captures symptoms of irritability and anger but does not measure aggression or anger expression as behavioral constructs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 538 registered nurses in Poland. Validated instruments were applied: HADS-M (for anxiety, depression, and irritability/anger symptoms), SWLS (life satisfaction), and SSP (job satisfaction). Statistical analyses included This is a provisional file, not the final typeset article descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank-order correlations, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and multiple linear regression (two-tailed, α = 0.05). Results: A high prevalence of psychological symptoms was observed. All symptom domains were significantly and negatively correlated with life and job satisfaction (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses indicated that depressive symptoms were the strongest predictors of both life satisfaction (β = –0.429) and job satisfaction (β = –0.315), followed by irritability/anger symptoms. All models were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Anxiety, depression, and irritability/irritability/anger symptoms significantly reduce nurses' satisfaction with life and work. Depressive symptoms exerted the most profound impact. These findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted mental health support programs and preventive strategies to enhance nurses' well-being and professional performance. Impact Statement This study highlights the strong negative associations between psychological symptoms and both job and life satisfaction among nurses. Depressive symptoms, followed by irritability/anger, were identified as the most influential predictors, underscoring the vulnerability of nurses' mental health. These findings emphasize the urgent need for preventive strategies and tailored mental health support programs to improve nurses' well-being and sustain the quality of healthcare delivery.