Digital Psychological Support as a Buffer Against Burnout: The Contingent Influence of Migration Intention Among Nurses

Abstract

Amid a growing wave of nurse migration from Nigeria, the question of “staying or leaving” has become deeply intertwined with the psychological well-being of those who remain and this study examines whether digital psychological support can alleviate burnout among Nigerian nurses working under increasing job demands. Drawing on the Job Demands Resources (JD–R) model, digital interventions such as teletherapy and mobile-based mental health applications are conceptualized as accessible resources that may buffer work-related strain and the study further investigates how nurses’ migration intentions shape the effectiveness of these digital supports in reducing burnout. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, involving three hundred and fifteen registered nurses from selected tertiary healthcare institutions in South East Nigeria. Data was collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a Digital Psychological Support Utilization Scale, and a Migration Intention Scale. Hayes’ Process Macro was employed to test the moderating effect of migration intention on the digital support-burnout relationship and findings show that digital psychological support significantly predicts lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and higher personal accomplishment. However, this relationship is moderated by migration intention, such that the protective effect of digital psychological support is weaker among nurses with high intentions to migrate. This study reveals the importance of integrating digital mental health interventions into healthcare systems as part of workforce retention strategies amid increasing migration.