Academic performance, adaptation and mental health of nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Aim: To evaluate the institutional indicators of academic success, performance and failure and to identify the factors that influence the performance, academic adaptation and mental health of nursing students. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Methods: Data collection was performed between April 2018 and January 2020, focusing on academic data of nursing students (n = 348) and answers to a questionnaire with active students of the course with at least two years since admission (n = 88). Results: Academic data indicates negative trends on academic failure and dropouts. Mean academic performance was 7.56 out of 10 and ALEQ-r results showed high academic adaptation in all dimensions, except in the personal dimension of scale. The prevalence of depressive symptoms reported was 60.2% (95%CI: 49.8-70.1%) and presented as predictors of this condition both academic performance and adaptation. Conclusions: There was found a trend in academic failure and dropouts among nursing students, as well as a relevant prevalence of depressive symptoms despite good average of academic adaptation and academic performance.