Stress, mental health, and protective factors in nursing students: An observational study

Background Nursing students suffer high levels of stress, especially in the first year. Objectives to compare academic stress at the beginning and end of nursing studies; to analyse the relationships between academic stress, mental health, and protective factors; and to examine whether resilience mi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Visier Alfonso, María Eugenia, Sarabia Cobo, Carmen María, Cobo Cuenca, Ana Isabel, Nieto López, Marta, López Honrubia, Rigoberto, Bartolomé Gutiérrez, Raquel, Alconero Camarero, Ana Rosa, González López, José Rafael
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/168785
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/168785
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106258
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Nursing students
Stress
Mental health
Psychological well-being
Resilience
Descripción
Sumario:Background Nursing students suffer high levels of stress, especially in the first year. Objectives to compare academic stress at the beginning and end of nursing studies; to analyse the relationships between academic stress, mental health, and protective factors; and to examine whether resilience mitigates the effect of academic stress on psychological well-being. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting and participants Sample was 370 first- and fourth-year nursing students from Spain (University of Castilla-La Mancha, University of Cantabria, and University of Sevilla). Variables and data collection We assessed academic and clinical stress, coping skills, anxiety, depression, psychological well-being, and resilience were measured. Data analysis We performed a descriptive analysis of the study sample, as well as correlation and hierarchical regression models. Additionally, mediation models were estimated. Results First-year students presented higher academic stress than fourth-year students. Clinical stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional coping predicted academic stress, while academic stress, depression, and coping skills predicted psychological well-being. Mediation models showed a significant path between academic stress, resilience, depression, and psychological well-being. Conclusion Academic stress has a detrimental effect on the mental health. Coping strategies and resilience may be protective factors that should be encouraged in interventions designed to improve psychological well-being.