The prevalence and related factors of depressive symptoms among junior college nursing students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Nursing students have particularly experienced stressful lives during nursing educa-tion. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate depressive symptoms and relatedfactors in junior college nursing students. A total of 625 nursing students from ajunior college in Taiwan were assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, AdolescentDepression Inventory, Situational Anxiety Scale and the Taiwanese-Chinese version ofStress in Nursing Students Scale. The results showed that (1) the prevalence ofdepressive symptoms among junior college nursing students was 32.6%; (2) depres-sive symptoms are significantly related to grade point average, interest in nursing,interest in their clinical placement, career planning after graduation, overeating as astress-relief strategy, sleep problems, stress, and anxiety; and (3) anxiety, sleep quality,and stress are three major variables that can significantly predict depressive symp-toms. Psychological factors may influence young nursing students’ willingness to seekassistance from teachers. These factors should be considered when designing strat-egies to promote their emotional health and well-being. Nursing educators can planappropriate strategies tailored to junior college nursing students’ problems and needs,which thereby may facilitate learning experience and prevent depressive symptoms.