Examining the Relationships between Stress, Depression, Anxiety, and Resilience in Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

Undergraduate nursing students are struggling with the development of stress, depression, and anxiety and the negative effects these feelings are having on their lives. An inability to cope effectively, alongside emotionally stressful events pervading multiple aspects of their lives has led to a population of students who are less mentally healthy than they should be (Chernomas & Shapiro, 2013). In contrast, students who have reported feeling called to the profession in which they study showed higher levels of life satisfaction and academic success (Duffy & Sedlacek, 2010). This is also true of individuals who demonstrate higher scores of resilience (McDonald, Jackson, Wilkes, & Vickers, 2013). This study investigates the relationships between stress, depression, and anxiety, resilience, and feeling called to the field of nursing. It was found that resilience and depression were negatively correlated, r = -.489, n = 52, p = .000. Resilience and anxiety were also negatively correlated, r = -.425, n = 52, p = .002. Resilience and stress were also negatively correlated, though less significantly, r = -.316, n = 52, p = .022. No significant relationships were found between feeling called to the field of nursing and resilience. Additionally, no significant relationships were found between stress, depression, anxiety, and feeling called to the profession of nursing.