MENTAL HEALTH IN NURSING STUDENTS: STRESS, PSYCHIC MORBIDITY, AND THEIR SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DETERMINANTS

This chapter investigates the prevalence of stress and psychic morbidity among nursing students, a population facing significant academic and professional demands. An observational, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted in 2025 with 104 UNIFUNEC nursing students, utilizing the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Results indicated that 55.80% of students were at risk for minor mental disorders, reporting moderate levels of perceived stress. Significant positive correlations emerged between depressive/anxious mood, somatic symptoms, decreased vital energy, and depressive thoughts. Sociodemographic analysis identified critical determinants: female gender (biological sex and identity) was consistently associated with higher stress and psychic morbidity. In contrast, parenthood, prior higher education experience (particularly course completion), and financial autonomy (self-funding studies) acted as significant protective factors, correlating with lower psychic suffering. These findings highlight the imperative for higher education institutions to develop and implement tailored, gender-sensitive psychosocial support strategies, robust financial aid programs, and initiatives that recognize and leverage diverse student experiences to cultivate resilience and well-being among aspiring healthcare professionals.