ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the factors that are present in the work environment of the nursing team and that contribute to emergence of psychic burden in Psychosocial Care Centers III. Methods: this is a descriptive and qualitative study carried out in three services located in Paraíba State. Data were obtained from an interview with a semi-structured script, and textual content was treated using the software Interface de R pour Analyzes Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionneires. Results: the factors that trigger psychic burden arise primarily from pace of work, precarious physical structure, work with users in mental distress, lack of management support, insufficient multidisciplinary team and lack of clinical supervision. Conclusion: the difficulties faced by nursing professionals in the work environment cause suffering at work and hinder the effectiveness and, consequently, the quality of nursing care.