Relationship between coping, self-esteem, individual factors and mental health among Chinese nursing students: A matched case–control study

Ni, Chunping; Liu, Xiwen; Hua, Qianzhen; Lv, Aili; Wang, Bo; Yan, Yongping

doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2009.09.003

« Previous Next »Nurse Education Today
Volume 30, Issue 4 , Pages 338-343, May 2010

Relationship between coping, self-esteem, individual factors and mental health among Chinese nursing students: A matched case–control study

Chunping Ni
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Military Preventive Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, PR China
- Department of Nursing, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, PR China
- These two authors contributed equally to this work.
Xiwen Liu
- Department of Nursing, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, PR China
- These two authors contributed equally to this work.
Qianzhen Hua
- Department of Nursing, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, PR China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 29 847 748 94.
Aili Lv
- Faculty of Nursing, Medical School, Xi’an Jiao Tong University, 76 Yantaxi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China
Bo Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Military Preventive Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, PR China
Yongping Yan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Military Preventive Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changlexi Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, PR China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 29 847 748 94.

Accepted 3 September 2009. published online 05 October 2009.

Summary

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between ways of coping, self-esteem, individual factors and mental health among Chinese nursing students.

Method

A sample of 515 nursing students was selected from four public institutes and colleges in Xi’an of China by a random sampling method. They were surveyed by a self-evaluation questionnaire including the Symptom-Checklist 90 (SCL-90), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the Self-Esteem Scale and the Personal Data Form. On the basis of the total score of SCL-90 obtained in the survey, high and low score groups were formed, each consisting of 100 nursing students. Then a matched case–control design was carried out to explore the relationship between ways of coping, self-esteem, individual factors and mental health. Besides descriptive statistics, the Chi-square analysis, t-test and Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis were also employed.

Results

The active coping and self-esteem scores of the high score group were found to be much lower than those of the low score group (P<0.05), while it was the opposite for passive coping scores (P<0.01). Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis suggested that study stress (OR=10.017, 95%CI: 3.273–30.654) and physical health problems in the past year (OR=4.384, 95%CI: 1.492–12.877) were independent risk factors of mental health among nursing students, whereas self-fulfillment satisfaction (OR=0.037, 95%CI: 0.014–0.097) and a higher level of self-esteem (OR=0.357, 95%CI: 0.152–0.838) were preventive factors.

Conclusion

The mental health of Chinese nursing students was related to the ways of coping, self-esteem, study stress and physical health problems in the past year. In order to improve the mental health of nursing students, aside from reducing the study stress and avoiding passive coping, it is very necessary for them to be supported to ensure that academic stress is minimized, autonomy is promoted, and self-esteem is developed.

Keywords: Mental health, Nursing students, SCL-90, Coping, Self-esteem, Individual factors