Abstract

Burnout remains a major occupational challenge among mental health nurses due to continuous exposure to patients with severe mental illness, emotionally demanding therapeutic relationships, workforce shortages, and complex psychiatric care environments. Although burnout has been widely investigated quantitatively, limited evidence has explored the lived experiences of mental health nurses in Indonesia. This study aimed to explore nurses’ experiences of burnout and the coping strategies they used to maintain their professional roles. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in a provincial psychiatric hospital in Indonesia. Participants were registered mental health nurses with at least one year of clinical experience who had experienced occupational burnout. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was established through member checking, source triangulation, audit trails, and researcher reflexivity. Four major themes emerged: (1) emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to psychiatric care demands; (2) organizational factors contributing to burnout, including heavy workloads, rotating shifts, and inadequate staffing; (3) psychological and professional consequences affecting nurses’ well-being and quality of care; and (4) adaptive coping strategies, including peer and family support, spirituality, emotional regulation, and professional commitment. Participants described burnout as a gradual process that challenged their emotional resilience while strengthening their professional identity through effective coping mechanisms. Burnout among mental health nurses is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by organizational, interpersonal, and individual factors. Strengthening psychological support, ensuring adequate staffing, promoting supportive leadership, and implementing resilience-building programs are essential to improve nurses’ well-being and sustain high-quality psychiatric nursing care.