Mental health status and stressful life events among postgraduate nursing students in Cyprus: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

Background Despite prior evidence supporting the association between stressful life events and mental health status, there are limited data on the number and severity of stressful life events and their effects on university students' mental health status. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (a) examine mental health status and subsequent predictors of clinically significant mental distress symptoms, (b) estimate the number and severity of stressful life events, and (c) explore the associations between mental health status, stressful life events (number and severity) and sociodemographic characteristics. Methods This study was descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational with internal comparisons. A convenience sample of 90 Master of Science in nursing and midwifery students, participated in the study. Participants with a General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) total score = 24 were considered to have clinically significant mental distress symptoms. Descriptive and inferential statistics were evaluated, and Pearson's chi-square test for group differences was used to analyse the data. Analysis of variance and t-tests were used for comparisons between two or more groups, and regression analyses were employed to identify the predictors of GHQ-28 scores and clinical mental distress symptoms. Results The final sample comprised 90 students (response rate: 97.8%), 33 (36.7%) of whom reported clinically significant symptoms of mental distress. Students with divorced parents [29.92 (+/- 10.62), p <.05] scored high on the GHQ-28. Participants who had low/no satisfaction with the education system posted higher scores than participants who had high/very high satisfaction [24.82 (+/- 11.68) vs. 17.93 (+/- 9.78), p <.05]. In the subscale measuring depressive symptoms, there was a statistically significant gender difference, with men reporting higher scores than females. [3.0 +/- (3.69) vs. 1.60 (+/- 2.42), p =.034]. In multiple analyses of sociodemographic characteristics and those who scored higher on the Life Events Scale for Students (LESS) scale (= 340), the loss of parent/s was associated with the total GHQ-28 score (B=-17.046, p <.001). In multiple analyses, chronic physical disorders or disabilities and numerous stressful life events among students (= 8 events) were correlated with higher overall GHQ-28 scores (B = 15.232, p <.005). Conclusion The high frequency of clinical symptoms of mental distress among postgraduate university nursing students and their correlation with stressful life events highlights the need for university counselling services to provide psychological support strategies to students.