Factors associated with depression in nursing students
Keywords:
Resilience, Stress, Self-esteem, Nursing students, DepressionAbstract
This quantitative study aimed to examine the factors associated with depression among undergraduate nursing students. The sample comprised 228 first- to fourth-year students who were selected through stratified random sampling. Research instruments comprised the demographic questionnaire, the social media addiction questionnaire, the self-esteem questionnaire, the resilience scale, the stress scale, and the 9-item depression screening questionnaire (9Q). The reliability coefficients ranged from 0.810 to 0.958. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.
The results revealed that the nursing students exhibited a very low level of depression, as measured by the 9Q (Mean = 5.03, S.D. = 4.46). Moreover, stress showed a significant positive correlation with depression (r = 0.727, p-value < 0.01). Self-esteem had a significant negative correlation with depression (r = –0.431, p-value < 0.01). In contrast, social media addiction exhibited a significant positive correlation with depression (r = 0.411, p-value < 0.01), while resilience demonstrated a significant negative correlation with depression (r = –0.225, p-value < 0.01). Therefore, nursing education institutions should organize activities that promote psychological resilience, self-esteem, emotional regulation skills, and appropriate social media use among nursing students. They should also provide knowledge on coping strategies and stress management techniques to foster good mental health, prevent depression, and enhance students’ happiness during in the Bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science program.
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