Suicide risk factors in nursing students: Depressive symptoms, academic burnout and academic efficacy after the pandemic
4 affiliations
- 1Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
- 2Faculty of Psychology, San Sebastian University, Sede Valdivia, Chile.
- 3Faculty of Education, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
- 4Faculty of Nursing, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
Abstract
The present study analyze the prevalence and factors associated with suicide risk in nursing students in the post-pandemic context, considering academic burnout, academic engagement, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress as predictors. through a cross-sectional and correlational study conducted in a public university in Northern Chile. with a168 nursing undergraduates’ sample. Validated instruments were administered, including the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey, and the DASS-21. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression were conducted. A total of 11.31% of students met the predefined BHS threshold for elevated suicide-related risk. In the same sample, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress showed high prevalence rates. Suicide risk was negatively associated with vigor and dedication, while positively associated with low academic efficacy and depression. The regression model explained 54% of the variance in suicide risk (Adj.R² = 0.54; p < 0.001), with Depression (β = 4.04), Vigor (β = 0.63), Academic Efficacy (β = 0.88), and the interaction between Depression and Vigor (β = -0.69) being significant predictors in the model. Suicide risk in nursing students transcends traditional clinical factors, as it is shaped by the interaction between personal resources and mental health symptoms. These findings underscore the need for prevention and psychosocial support programs in nursing schools.
Related
- Differences in associations between coping styles and depressive symptoms across pandemic-related periods among university students with subthreshold depressive symptoms: a serial cross-sectional study.
- Questionable mediated effect of self-efficacy on depressive symptoms among college students: A reassessment of Desai and Lueke (2026)
- Associations of pandemic-era telework with cognition and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older nonagricultural workers in China: a longitudinal CHARLS study
- Moderating effect of social support on the association between changes in financial stress and depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Medicaid recipients: a longitudinal study
- Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Posttraumatic Growth in Adolescents Exposed to Trauma: Testing the Indirect Effects of Resilience and Academic Self-Efficacy
BibTeX
@article{ardilesirarrazabal2026suicide,
title = {{Suicide risk factors in nursing students: Depressive symptoms, academic burnout and academic efficacy after the pandemic}},
author = {Rodrigo-Alejandro Ardiles-Irarrázabal and Pablo Alejandro Pérez-Díaz and Juan-Carlos Pérez-González and Yenny Valdivia-Rojas and Miguel Valencia-Contrera},
journal = {PLOS Mental Health},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pmen.0000734},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000734},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Suicide risk factors in nursing students: Depressive symptoms, academic burnout and academic efficacy after the pandemic
AU - Rodrigo-Alejandro Ardiles-Irarrázabal
AU - Pablo Alejandro Pérez-Díaz
AU - Juan-Carlos Pérez-González
AU - Yenny Valdivia-Rojas
AU - Miguel Valencia-Contrera
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/10
JO - PLOS Mental Health
DO - 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000734
UR - https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000734
AB - The present study analyze the prevalence and factors associated with suicide risk in nursing students in the post-pandemic context, considering academic burnout, academic engagement, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress as predictors. through a cross-sectional and correlational study conducted in a public university in Northern Chile. with a168 nursing undergraduates’ sample. Validated instruments were administered, including the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey, and the DASS-21. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression were conducted. A total of 11.31% of students met the predefined BHS threshold for elevated suicide-related risk. In the same sample, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress showed high prevalence rates. Suicide risk was negatively associated with vigor and dedication, while positively associated with low academic efficacy and depression. The regression model explained 54% of the variance in suicide risk (Adj.R² = 0.54; p < 0.001), with Depression (β = 4.04), Vigor (β = 0.63), Academic Efficacy (β = 0.88), and the interaction between Depression and Vigor (β = -0.69) being significant predictors in the model. Suicide risk in nursing students transcends traditional clinical factors, as it is shaped by the interaction between personal resources and mental health symptoms. These findings underscore the need for prevention and psychosocial support programs in nursing schools.
SN - 2837-8156
ER -