Mental Health and Academic Outcomes in Undergraduate Nursing Students

BACKGROUND: Nursing students are at heightened risk of trauma exposure and trauma-related psychological symptoms. The association of trauma exposure and psychological distress with academic performance among nursing students remains underexamined. PURPOSE: This study investigated whether mental health symptomology predicted academic performance among undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: Undergraduate nursing students (n = 601) completed measures of trauma exposure, general and trauma-specific psychological symptoms, and protective factors (social support, self-efficacy, and perceived trauma-informed climate). Self-reported data were correlated with students' grade point average (GPA) the following semester. RESULTS: Analyses did not reveal a pattern of significant associations of trauma exposure, psychological symptoms, self-efficacy, or perceived trauma-informed climate with students' GPA in subsequent semesters. Social support during the student's second year in the program was weakly correlated with subsequent GPA. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that academic performance may not reliably reflect underlying psychological distress. These findings challenge the assumption that high-achieving students are thriving and highlight the need for more holistic approaches to student support.