Ryon C. McDermott, PhD, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA.
Sharon M. Fruh, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA.
J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2021 Jan-Feb;27(1):44-53. doi: 10.1177/1078390319865322. Epub 2019 Jul 26.
Researchers have documented significant psychological problems among nursing students, but findings have been inconclusive as to whether nursing students are "at-risk" for mental health problems compared with their non-nursing peers. This study examined whether nursing students have unique mental health characteristics compared with students from other professions. Undergraduates ( = 18,312; nursing = 1,399) were selected from the 2016-2017 National Healthy Minds Study. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (depression), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (anxiety), and the Flourishing Scale (positive psychology). Nursing students were equally likely to screen positive for depression and anxiety compared with their non-nursing peers. However, when controlling for gender, age, and year in school, multigroup structural equation modeling analyses revealed that female (but not male) nursing students reported significantly higher levels of specific anxiety symptoms and certain psychological strengths than female students from other professions. Nursing students are equally likely to screen positive for depression or anxiety as their non-nursing peers; however, anxiety disorders may reflect symptom profiles unique to nursing students. Findings suggest a need for tailored screening and interventions to reduce mental health problems and harness psychological strengths unique to nursing students.
研究人员记录了护理专业学生中存在的严重心理问题，但尚不确定与非护理专业学生相比，护理专业学生是否“存在心理健康问题的风险”。本研究旨在检验护理专业学生与其他专业学生相比是否具有独特的心理健康特征。研究人员从 2016-2017 年的“全美心理健康研究”中选取了本科生（n = 18312；护理专业学生 n = 1399）。参与者完成了“患者健康问卷-9 项（抑郁）”、“广泛性焦虑障碍-7 项（焦虑）”和“幸福度量表（积极心理学）”。与非护理专业的同龄人相比，护理专业学生同样有可能出现抑郁和焦虑症状。然而，在控制了性别、年龄和在校年级后，多群组结构方程模型分析显示，与其他专业的女学生相比，女护理专业学生报告了更高水平的特定焦虑症状和某些心理优势。护理专业学生出现抑郁或焦虑的可能性与非护理专业学生相同；然而，焦虑障碍可能反映了护理专业学生特有的症状特征。研究结果表明，需要进行有针对性的筛查和干预，以减少心理健康问题，并利用护理专业学生特有的心理优势。
