Abstract: Objective: To gain an in-depth understanding of the real experiences of occupational psychological trauma among nurses in the mental health department of community health service centers, thereby providing a basis for enhancing their mental well-being. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted from January to March 2024. It involved in-depth interviews with 10 nurses from the mental health department of 10 community health service centers, with content analysis applied to the interview data. Results: Three main themes emerged: patient violence inflicts psychological trauma, attitude of patient's family member impacts nurses' professional identity, and insufficient organizational support undermines nurses' self-efficacy. Conclusion: The psychological trauma experienced by nurses in the mental health department of community health service centers comes from various difficulties. Managers should address these issues, implement measures to alleviate nurses' emotional stress, and enhance their mental health.

Key words: mental health nurse; occupational psychological trauma; community nursing; qualitative study