Factors related to the mental health of nursing students during the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, all health workforces, including nursing students, were mobilized to prevent the spread of the disease. The physical and mental health of frontline healthcare workers has been shown to have several adverse effects during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, few studies analyzed the mental health of nursing students participating in COVID-19 prevention, especially in Vietnam.

Objective: The study was to identify and analyze the mental health of students and its related factors during the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 672 nursing students participating in COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from September to October 2021. Self-administered and online-based surveys were used to collect data using Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9),and the Insomnia Severity Index. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were done for data analysis using R 3.6.0 software.

Results: Among our participants, the proportion of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and insomnia were 2.88%, 5.1%, and 4.33%, respectively. Students who had physical activity habits before involvement in COVID-19 and maintained physical activity while participating in the epidemic had lower symptoms of anxiety, depression, and the risk of sleep disturbances. Furthermore, students with healthy diet status had fewer negative consequences on their mental health.

Conclusions: Our findings provided evidence for organizations strategizing to preserve the emotional health of nursing students while engaging in the COVID-19 campaign.

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Funding Description

The authors thank Bach Mai Medical College and Bach Mai Hospital for financial support to carry out this study.

Declaration of Conflicting Interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to show their deepest gratitude to Bach Mai Medical College nursing students for participating in the survey. The authors also show their appreciation to the members of the Bach Mai Medical College and Bach Mai Hospital for their support.

Authors’ Contributions

All listed authors met the authorship criteria and agreed with the content of the manuscript. TMB, TTTN, TDV, LTHD, TTP, HTTH designed the study. TMB, TTTN, TDV, TTP collected and analyzed the data. TMB, TTTN, LTHD and HTTH prepared the manuscript. All authors approved the final version for submission. All listed authors were accountable in each stage of the study and approved the final version to be published.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

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