Prevalence of stress and anxiety symptoms among nursing students at Jazan University

Abstract

Background: Undergraduate nursing students often face significant levels of stress and anxiety. This not only affects their personal well-being and academic performance but also impacts their ability to communicate effectively with patients during clinical placements and the quality and safety of the healthcare they provide.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of stress and anxiety among nursing students.

Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 380 nursing students from Jazan Nursing College, using Google Forms containing a structured questionnaire, a generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7), and a perceived stress scale (PSS-10) to assess the levels of anxiety and stress.

 Results: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms scale shows minimal symptoms were the most frequent (85.3%), followed by mild (6.3%), severe (6.1%), and moderate (2.4%), and Stress symptoms scale shows mild 90.3%, followed by moderate 5.5% and severe 4.2%.

Conclusions: The study found that most nursing students experienced minimal anxiety (85.3%) and mild stress (90.3%). In light of these findings, the researchers suggested formal and informal curricula for improving coping behaviors and self-management of stress and anxiety.