Variations in the mental health and sense of coherence (SOC) of new graduate nurses and the effects of SOC on variations in mental health

The current research conducted a longitudinal study of new graduate nurses at 3 times-prior to their employment as nurses and 3 months and 1 year afterward. This study yielded 3 findings. 1) The mental health of new graduate nurses significantly worsens 3 months after employment as a nurse and mental health 1 year after employment as a nurse was significantly worse than that before employment. 2) A sense of coherence (SOC) is the ability to cope with stressors, and the 3 components of SOC decreased significantly in the year after employment as a nurse. 3) The mental health of new graduate nurses was significantly affected by a low SOC and by previous diminishing of SOC. Findings suggested the importance of support to sustain and improve the mental health of new graduate nurses and the importance of approaches in the workplace to encourage the development of SOC.