Sociodemographic Factors and Mental Health in Nursing Students in Times of COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health has been affected during the pandemic by COVID-19, also in nursing students a negative effect on their levels of depression and anxiety has been observed.

Objective: To describe the relationship between sociodemographic factors and mental health of nursing students in times of COVID-19.

Methods: Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study, whose population was 577 nursing students of a private university in Trujillo, Peru, enrolled in the semester 2021-01. A sample of 328 students was taken by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data were collected using the questionnaires to evaluate anxiety symptoms (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9), these instruments were sent through a Google form. Data were processed and described in absolute frequencies and percentages; Pearson's Chi-square test was used for inferential analysis.

Results: The sociodemographic factors show that 31.10% belonged to the first cycle, 95.70% were female, 31.40% were aged up to 18 years, 92.10% were single, 68.90% professed the Catholic religion and 85.40% indicated residing in the department of La Libertad. It was also found that 45.40% of the students had mild anxiety and 19.80% severe anxiety; in addition, 39.60% did not present depressive symptoms, 18.90% presented mild major depression and 2.10% severe major depression; only a significant statistical relationship was found between the gender factor and depressive symptoms (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: No relationship was found between sociodemographic factors and anxiety symptoms.