Relationship between Health Anxiety and Psychological Resilience among Nursing Students and Predictors of Psychological Resilience in the Last Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2024 Apr 8:1-23. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2024.71. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The study aimed to determine health anxiety and psychological resilience and to investigate the relationship between health anxiety and psychological resilience among nursing students in the last period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 507 students. The questionnaires used in the study were a student nurse information form, the Health Anxiety Inventory and the Resilience Scale for Adults. The mean age of the students was 20.70±1.77 years. The health anxiety mean score was 36.19±6.55, resilience scale mean score was 117.13±16.00. There was a weak negative correlation between the students' psychological resilience and their health anxiety (r=-0.207, p<0.001). Having an extended family and having good relationships with family and friends were the predictors of psychological resilience. Social support and psychological care services under a biopsychosocial model by the management of university or faculty should be implemented for university students in order to preserve their resilience and wellbeing, to cope with the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety; nursing students; psychological resilience.