Mental Health and Well-Being of Nursing Students: Challenges, Interventions, and Future Directions

A special issue of Nursing Reports (ISSN 2039-4403). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health Nursing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 863

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: addiction smartphone; clinical setting; nursing; mental health

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Social and Cultural Anthropology Lab, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: compusive behaviors; social media; eating disorders; mental well-being

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The mental health of nursing students is a global issue of growing concern that must be addressed in depth. The challenges faced by nursing students during their academic and clinical training can interfere with their mental health. In addition, the use of smartphones and social networks can favor the development of addictive behaviors and interfere with their self-image, their social relationships with their peers and preceptors, their therapeutic relationships with patients, and teamwork, negatively affecting their educational process and their mental health as a result.

This Special Issue focuses on the need to better understand the factors that affect the mental health of nursing students, the impact these can have on the development of behaviors that are detrimental to their health, and strategies for effectively dealing with these new challenges. The articles in this Issue will explore stress, burnout, resilience, the manifestation of addictive behaviors, and coping with stressful situations. We will consider studies focusing on the role of educational and healthcare institutions in promoting mental wellness and implementing evidence-based interventions to prevent and address mental health issues among nursing students. The aim is to enhance the mental health, academic performance, and clinical competence of nursing students. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Topics:

Academic stress in nursing students;

Mental health promotion;

Addiction to smartphones and mental well-being;

Social networks and self-image in nursing students;

Burnout during academic and clinical training;

Resilience in the face of academic and clinical challenges;

Relationship between digital habits and sleep quality;

Eating and mental health;

Strategies to prevent addictive behaviors;

Emotional education in nursing programs;

Interventions to strengthen mental health;

Coping and perceived stress.

Dr. Lorena Gutiérrez-Puertas
Dr. Montserrat Monserrat Hernández
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nursing students
  • resilience
  • mental health promotion
  • smartphone addiction
  • patient care
  • education and health policies
  • compulsive behaviors
  • eating disorders

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 962 KiB  
Article
Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health in Nursing Students and Non-Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Verena Dresen, Liliane Sigmund, Siegmund Staggl, Bernhard Holzner, Gerhard Rumpold, Laura R. Fischer-Jbali, Markus Canazei and Elisabeth Weiss
Nurs. Rep. 2025, 15(8), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15080286 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 432
Abstract
Background/Objective: Nursing and non-nursing students experience high stress levels, making them susceptible to mental health issues. This study compared stress, anxiety, and depression between these two groups after 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it explored the relationship between perceived helplessness, [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Nursing and non-nursing students experience high stress levels, making them susceptible to mental health issues. This study compared stress, anxiety, and depression between these two groups after 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it explored the relationship between perceived helplessness, self-efficacy, and symptoms of mental stress and strain resulting from challenging internship conditions for nursing students. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 154 nursing students (mean age = 22.43 years) and 291 non-nursing students (mean age = 27.7 years). Data were collected using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and a questionnaire on mental stress and strain. Results: Nursing students reported significantly higher scores in the DASS-21 subscales depression (ηp2 = 0.016) and anxiety (ηp2 = 0.037), and global stress (PSS-10; ηp2 = 0.029) compared to non-nursing students, but no significant difference on the DASS-21 Stress subscale. The observed group differences in the present study may be partially attributed to group differences in demographic factors. Helplessness correlated strongly with nearly all scales of mental stress and strain during internships (all p’s < 0.001), while self-efficacy showed a strong negative correlation with non-occupational difficulties, health impairment, and emotional problems (all p’s < 0.001). Conclusions: Nursing students experience elevated depression, anxiety, and perceived stress levels compared to non-nursing students. Stronger feelings of helplessness and lower confidence in their ability to overcome challenges were strongly correlated with mental stress and strain during clinical training. Targeted interventions such as cognitive behavioral training and stress management should be integrated into nursing curricula to enhance resilience and coping strategies. Full article
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