Predictive Model of the Psychological Well-Being of Nursing Students During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Introduction: Lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic radically changed nursing education. Along with social isolation, the transition to distance education affected the well-being of students in several countries, particularly Portugal and Spain. Objectives: To identify which variables are predictors of psychological well-being for Portuguese and Spanish nursing students during mandatory lockdowns. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study involving a sample of 1075 students (944 women, mean age 22.46 + /-4.95 years). Data were collected from an online questionnaire which applied the following scales: Perceived Stress Scale (alpha = .820); Brief COPE-14 Subscales (alpha =.430 < 0.930); Well-being Manifestations Measure Scale (alpha =.940); Herth Hope Index (alpha =.850). A multiple regression model was created to predict the psychological well-being of nursing students. Results: The following predictor variables were identified in the model of the psychological well-being of students during the COVID-19 pandemic: perceived stress (beta = .405; p <= .001); hope (beta = .404; p <= .001); and the mechanisms of active coping (beta = .405; p <= .001), planning (beta = .097; p <= .001), and positive reinterpretation (beta = .053; p = .12). These five variables predicted 62.0% of the nursing students' psychological well-being (R-2 = .620; F = 350.82; p <= .001). Conclusion: Promoting students' mental health is essential, especially in periods of great adversity, such as a pandemic. Our results lead the way for the design and validation of an intervention program that addresses the five variables identified as predictors of students' psychological well-being.