Self-Esteem and Determinants of Depression among Undergraduate Nursing Students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Due to the extensive workload and clinical demands of nursing education, undergraduate nursing students are particularly prone to depression. Objective: to assess the level of depression and its sociodemographic and academic determinants among undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional analysis of 258 nursing students recruited from a college of nursing at Saudi university. The data collection instruments used were a Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. An analysis of variance and a regression analysis were conducted to examine the effects of self-esteem and sociodemographic and academic factors on the depression level. Results: The majority of students (64.0%) had a normal level of self-esteem but (31%) had moderate depression levels. Nursing students who were less than 23 years old were more likely to suffer from depression, and those who did not prefer nursing as a profession and believed that learning courses and study schedules were rigid were significantly more depressed than those who did not. Depressive symptom was predicted by stress during study time (В = .308, p = .000), preferred nursing as profession (В = -.171, p = .004), Grade Point Average (В = -.168, p = .005), and gender (В = .124, p = .035). Conclusion: In general, nursing students had a moderate level of depression. The factors identified in this study need to be evaluated further in order to assist in the early detection and control of depression in this significant population and reduce the negative consequences associated with the condition.

Self-esteem among nursing students at a public university in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

“…This appears to be predominantly a profession for females (Zamanzadeh et al, 2013 ). According to the findings, the majority of the participants (76.6%) had a moderate level of self-esteem, which is similar to most studies that stated an average of 80% of students have a moderate self-esteem level (Altaweel et al, 2023 ; Banappagoudar et al, 2022 ; Ibrahim, 2015 ; Mane, 2016 ). This range of self-esteem levels seems healthy for the students and enables them to maintain steady progress toward growth and improvement.…”

“…While some studies have examined self-esteem amongst student nurses in other contexts, there is a need for context-specific research to understand better the self-esteem levels and factors that impact nursing students in this particular university. In addition, few studies in Saudi Arabia have explored the level of self-esteem among student nurses (Altaweel et al, 2023 ; Hamaideh & Hamdan-Mansour, 2014 ; Megahed & Mohammad, 2014 ). Therefore, this study aimed to assess the self-esteem level among nursing students at Majmaah University in Saudi Arabia and identify its related factors according to socio-demographic variables.…”

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Self-Esteem among Nursing Students

“…Similar to our findings, Shrestha et al (2018) indicated that 95.3% of nursing students reported good self-esteem, which is similar to our findings. However, this finding contradicts prior research that found students to have a moderate degree of self-esteem ( Almansour, 2023 ; Altaweel et al, 2023 ; Banappagoudar et al, 2022 ). This difference may be due to the fact that nursing students in Palestine face political challenges that differ from those in other countries, requiring them to be accountable and professional, which promotes their self-esteem and allows them to make fixed progress toward development and improvement.…”

Psychological Distress, Academic Stress, and Burnout among Saudi Undergraduate Nursing Students

“…Research also reported a high prevalence of depression among undergraduate nursing students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ranging between 43.3% and 31% among Saudi nursing students [ 22 , 23 ]. Students under the age of 23 and those that did not prefer the profession were more likely to experience greater depression than older students, or those who had a preference for nursing [ 23 ].…”

“…Research also reported a high prevalence of depression among undergraduate nursing students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ranging between 43.3% and 31% among Saudi nursing students [ 22 , 23 ]. Students under the age of 23 and those that did not prefer the profession were more likely to experience greater depression than older students, or those who had a preference for nursing [ 23 ]. Young nursing students that suffered from depression lacked the coping skills of the older students, which may explain the difference in prevalence between students younger than 23 compared to those older than 23 [ 23 ].…”