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 (α = .820); Brief COPE-14 Subscales (α = .430 < 0.930); Well-being Manifestations Measure Scale (α = .940); Herth Hope Index (α = .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 (β = .405; p ≤ .001); hope (β = .404; p ≤ .001); and the mechanisms of active coping (β = .405; p ≤ .001), planning (β = .097; p ≤ .001), and positive reinterpretation (β = .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.