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Objectives. This study investigated the relationships between job characteristics and coping in predicting levels of anxiety and depression in nurses. The study was based on current theories of occupational stress, and predictors included job demands, social support, decision authority and skill discretion control, effort, over‐commitment, rewards, and ways of coping. It was predicted that job demands, extrinsic effort, over‐commitment, and negative coping behaviours would be positively associated with depression and anxiety, and social support, rewards, decision authority, skill discretion control, and positive coping would be negatively associated with depression and anxiety.

Methods. Participants were 870 nurses, who responded to a bulk mail sent randomly to 4,000 nurses from the south of England.

Results. The results showed that job demands, extrinsic effort, and over‐commitment were associated with …