Peñacoba-Puente, CeciliaGil-Almagro, FernandaGarcía-Hedrera, Fernando JoséCarmona-Monge, Francisco Javier2026-01-272026-01-272025-02Peñacoba-Puente, C, Gil-Almagro, F, García-Hedrera, F J & Carmona-Monge, F J 2025, 'From Anxiety to Hopelessness : Examining Influential Psychological Processes Affecting Mental Health Status of Spanish Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic', Medicina (Lithuania), vol. 61, no. 2, 236. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina610202361010-660XPubMedCentral: PMC11857786unpaywall: 10.3390/medicina61020236https://hdl.handle.net/10641/7527Publisher Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.Background and Objective: to test a model aimed at delving into the psychological processes that lead to hopelessness in Spanish nurses two years after a stressful work situation. The model proposed starts with the anxiety experienced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and includes cognitive fusion and emotional exhaustion, evaluated six months after the end of the confinement, as possible contributing factors to development of hopelessness. Design: prospective study with three data collection periods, May to June 2020 (period 1), January to April 2021 (period 2), April to July 2022 (period 3). Materials and Methods: The sample (n = 131 Spanish nurses) was selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The inclusion criteria were as follows: being female, over 18 years of age, and working as a nurse in direct contact with COVID-19 patients. Results: The model proposed was statistically significant (B = 0.34, SE = 0.07, t = 5.15, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [0.21, 0.47]), contributing to the explanation of 28% of the variance of hopelessness, finding that the direct anxiety–hopelessness effect was equally significant (B = 0.19, SE = 0.08, t = 2.46, p = 0.014, 95% CI = [0.04, 0.34]). An effect of anxiety on cognitive fusion and on emotional exhaustion was observed. In turn, cognitive fusion had a significant effect on emotional exhaustion but not on hopelessness. Finally, emotional exhaustion had a significant effect on hopelessness. In this final model, years of experience had a significant effect (p = 0.004) on hopelessness. Conclusions: Cognitive fusion and emotional exhaustion are shown to be relevant psychological processes upon which to intervene to contribute to the improvement of the mental health of nurses regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.866005enghttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/anxietyburnoutcognitive fusionhopelessnessnursingprofessionalGeneral MedicineSDG 3 - Good Health and Well-beingJournal ArticleYesyesjournal articleopen access10.3390/medicina61020236https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85219069668https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85219069668#tab=citedBy