Objective: To identify the available evidence in the literature on the workloads that nursing professionals are exposed in hospital mental health services and their impact on the safety of patients in mental distress.Method: This is an integrative literature review in the databases LILACS, CINAHL, SCOPUS (Elsevier), PUBMED, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), Web of Science (Main Collection -Thomson Reuters Scientific), available in full in electronic media between January and March 2016 using the descriptors "nursing staff", "health worker", "workloads" and "mental health services" reaching the final sample of 08 articles.
Results:The following workloads in mental health services were identified: biological, physical, physiological, mechanical and psychological burden, such causing emotional distress of professionals, accidents and health problems directly on the quality of care and safety of psychiatric patients.
Conclusion:The development of this study found that nursing professionals involved in mental health services had various types of workloads in their work process, being psychic as the most present. From this study, it is observed the need of a better attention to the existing working conditions in mental health services, searching for solutions that provide occupational health and safety for workers.