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. 2025 Jul 14;24(1):915.
doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03554-3.

The relationship between perceived organizational support and insomnia in psychiatric nurses in China: the mediating role of psychological capital

Jian-Yi Zhang #  1 , Ruo-Nan Du #  1 , Zhi-Ren Wang  1 , Jing-Xu Chen  1 , Nan Chen  1 , Jing Zhao  1 , Shu-Fen Wang  1 , Hai-Peng Cai  2
Affiliations

The relationship between perceived organizational support and insomnia in psychiatric nurses in China: the mediating role of psychological capital

Jian-Yi Zhang et al. BMC Nurs. .

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric nurses routinely operate in high-stress, high-risk environments, making insomnia a prevalent issue that profoundly impacts their physical and mental well-being, as well as the quality of patient care. Empirical evidence suggests that insomnia not only diminishes occupational performance but also substantially increases the risk, posing a substantial risk to patient safety. Nevertheless, investigations into the underlying mechanisms driving insomnia among psychiatric nurses remain scarce.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the relationship between perceived organizational support and insomnia in psychiatric nurses, as well as to examine the mediating role of psychological capital through the development of a mediation model. The findings are intended to provide novel insights for hospital administrators in addressing insomnia among nursing staff.

Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 475 psychiatric nurses from three tertiary-level psychiatric specialty hospitals in Beijing. Data were collected between March and June 2024 using a general information questionnaire, the Perceived Organizational Support Scale (POSS), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Statistical analyses included assessments for common method bias, descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analysis using Model 4 of Hayes' PROCESS macro.

Results: (1) Of the 475 psychiatric nurses, 395 (83.16%) were identified as experiencing insomnia. (2) The mean scores for perceived organizational support, psychological capital, and insomnia symptoms were 39.11 ± 10.60, 106.35 ± 14.38, and 11.88 ± 5.55, respectively. (3) Perceived organizational support among nurses was positively correlated with psychological capital (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with insomnia (r = -0.348, P < 0.001). Additionally, psychological capital was negatively correlated with insomnia (r = -0.369, P < 0.001). (4) Mediation analysis revealed that the total effect of organizational support on insomnia was - 0.335. The direct effect was - 0.191, accounting for 57.01%, and the indirect effect via psychological capital was - 0.144, accounting for 42.99% of the total effect.

Conclusion: The prevalence of insomnia symptoms among psychiatric nurses is notably high, and perceived organizational support serves as a negative predictor of insomnia. Additionally, psychological capital partially mediates the relationship between organizational support and insomnia among nurses. These findings suggest that clinical nursing managers may alleviate insomnia in psychiatric nurses by implementing concrete interventions, such as enhancing organizational support through structured programs, and fostering psychological capital via targeted development initiatives and resilience training.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Keywords: Insomnia symptoms; Perceived organizational support; Psychiatric nurses; Psychological capital.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethic approval and consent to participate: The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital (Approval No. 2021-18) and adheres to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Before the survey was conducted, all participants were provided with a comprehensive explanation of the research objectives and gave informed consent. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The mediation effect of psychological capital in the relationship between perceived organization support and insomnia. Note: *** p < 0.001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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