Vol. 16 No. 1 (2025)
Original Articles

A Cross-Sectional Study of Stress and Related Conditions Among Nursing Students at a Tertiary Care Hospital, North India

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  • Swati Singh,
  • Rajesh Kunwer,
  • Pankaj Pathak,
  • Chhaya Singh
Swati Singh
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, TS Misra Medical College & Hospital, Lucknow, India
Rajesh Kunwer
Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, TS Misra Medical College & Hospital, Lucknow, India
Pankaj Pathak
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, TS Misra Medical College & Hospital, Lucknow, India
Chhaya Singh
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, TS Misra Medical College & Hospital, Lucknow, India
Categories

Published 31-03-2025

Keywords

  • Anxiety,
  • Depression,
  • Emotions,
  • Stress,
  • Societal factors,
  • Nursing students
    • ...More
    Less

Copyright (c) 2025 Swati Singh, Rajesh Kunwer, Pankaj Pathak, Chhaya Singh (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

1.
Singh S, Kunwer R, Pathak P, Singh C. A Cross-Sectional Study of Stress and Related Conditions Among Nursing Students at a Tertiary Care Hospital, North India. Healthline. 2025;16(1):51-58. doi:10.51957/Healthline_702_2025

Abstract

Introduction: Mental well-being is a vital component of overall health, particularly for nursing students who face academic, clinical, and career-related pressures. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress emotions among nursing students and its association with societal and bio-social behavioural factors. Method: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted at a nursing college of a tertiary care hospital in Lucknow, India, from November 2023 to August 2024. 240 nursing students enrolled for the study with complete enumeration, out of which 205 filled questionnaires. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, including the DASS-21 scale to assess depression, anxiety and stress levels. Societal variables (religion, caste, residence, family type) and bio-social behavioural factors (sleep duration, social media use, spiritual practices, and outdoor sports) were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 18.0, and Chi-square tests were applied to determine associations. Results: Out of 205 nursing students, 78 (38%) experienced depressive emotions, 109 (53.2%) reported anxiety, and 84 (41%) suffered from stress emotions. Depression was most common among third-year students 24 (48%), anxiety among fourth-year students 35 (61.4%), and stress among third-year students 31 (62%). Social factors such as female gender, rural residence, hostel living, and minority religion were significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress. Bio-social behaviours, including fewer than six hours of sleep and lack of outdoor activities, were significantly linked to higher depression, anxiety and stress scores. Conclusion: Nursing students face substantial mental health challenges, with anxiety being the most prevalent. Stress-related disorders were significantly associated with demographic factors such as Muslim religion, rural place of residence, residing in. hostels, Hours of sleep and indulgence in outdoor sports were found to be protective for stress-related illnesses.

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