Mental Health and Resilience in Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Study

William Donegá Martinez (), Tiago Casaleiro, João Daniel de Souza Menezes, Matheus Querino da Silva, Emerson Roberto dos Santos, Rauer Ferreira Franco, Alex Bertolazzo Quiterio, Thales Guardia de Barros, Ana Julia de Deus Silva, Luiz Otávio Maciel Lopes, Sônia Maria Maciel Lopes, Natalia Almeida de Arnaldo Silva Rodriguez Castro, Camila Aline Lázaro, Maria Laura Fabris, Josimerci Ittavo Lamana Faria, Fernando Nestor Facio Júnior, Maria Helena Pinto, Daniele Alcalá Pompeo, Denise Cristina Móz Vaz Oliani, Antônio Hélio Oliani, Neuza Alves Bonifácio, Loiane Letícia dos Santos, Marco Antonio Ribeiro Filho, Gerardo Maria de Araújo Filho, Nádia Antônia Aparecida Poletti, Luís Cesar Fava Spessoto, Natália Sperli Geraldes Marin dos Santos Sasaki, Aparecida de Fátima Michelin, Sabrina Ramires Sakamoto, Maysa Alahmar Bianchin, Vânia Maria Sabadoto Brienze, Alba Regina de Abreu Lima, Rita de Cássia Helú Mendonça Ribeiro and Júlio César André
Additional contact information
William Donegá Martinez: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Tiago Casaleiro: Grupo Autónoma - Escola Superior de Enfermagem São Francisco das Misericórdias, Green Park Campus, 1600-300 Lisbon, Portugal
João Daniel de Souza Menezes: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Matheus Querino da Silva: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Emerson Roberto dos Santos: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Rauer Ferreira Franco: University Brasil—UB, Fernandópolis 15613-899, Brazil
Alex Bertolazzo Quiterio: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Thales Guardia de Barros: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Ana Julia de Deus Silva: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Luiz Otávio Maciel Lopes: Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Votuporanga, Votuporanga 15500-003, Brazil
Sônia Maria Maciel Lopes: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Natalia Almeida de Arnaldo Silva Rodriguez Castro: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Camila Aline Lázaro: University União das Faculdades dos Grandes Lagos—UNILAGO, São José do Rio Preto 15070-110, Brazil
Maria Laura Fabris: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Josimerci Ittavo Lamana Faria: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Fernando Nestor Facio Júnior: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Maria Helena Pinto: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Daniele Alcalá Pompeo: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Denise Cristina Móz Vaz Oliani: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Antônio Hélio Oliani: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Neuza Alves Bonifácio: Campus Araçatuba, University Paulista—UNIP, Araçatuba 16018-555, Brazil
Loiane Letícia dos Santos: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Marco Antonio Ribeiro Filho: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Gerardo Maria de Araújo Filho: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Nádia Antônia Aparecida Poletti: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Luís Cesar Fava Spessoto: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Natália Sperli Geraldes Marin dos Santos Sasaki: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Aparecida de Fátima Michelin: Campus Araçatuba, University Paulista—UNIP, Araçatuba 16018-555, Brazil
Sabrina Ramires Sakamoto: Penápolis School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, Penápolis Educational Foundation, Penápolis 16300-000, Brazil
Maysa Alahmar Bianchin: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Vânia Maria Sabadoto Brienze: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Alba Regina de Abreu Lima: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Rita de Cássia Helú Mendonça Ribeiro: Faculty São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
Júlio César André: Center for Studies and Development of Health Education—CEDES, São José do Rio Preto Medical School—FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: Mental health challenges are increasingly prevalent among young individuals, particularly within high-stress academic environments such as nursing education. Resilience is critical for maintaining well-being and adapting to university demands. Objective: To assess resilience levels in first-year nursing students at FAMERP (Faculty of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto) upon entry in 2021 and their longitudinal evolution in 2022 and 2023, using the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale. The study also aims to explore the implications for mental health promotion in young healthcare professionals. Methods: A descriptive, longitudinal, prospective, and quantitative study was conducted with 40 students. Data collection was performed via electronic forms and analyzed using descriptive statistics and specific tests within the R programming language. Results: The predominantly female sample, with a mean age of 19.5 years, exhibited moderate to high resilience levels: mean scores of 132.5 (2021), 135.8 (2022), and 139.2 (2023). A significant reduction in the Perseverance factor ( p = 0.0131) was noted. There was a positive correlation between age and resilience scores (r = 0.42; p < 0.01). Discussion: Despite a slight overall increase in resilience, the decline in Perseverance is concerning, indicating potential growing mental health challenges as students progress. Small age differences significantly influence mental health outcomes. This decline may be related to increased academic stress, exposure to emotionally challenging clinical situations, and the cumulative effects of the “costs of caring”. Conclusions: Nursing students exhibit promising resilience levels, yet there is a critical need for interventions targeting Perseverance to enhance academic performance and patient care quality. Social Impact: This study contributes to the development of educational strategies designed to promote resilience, thereby potentially improving the mental health and academic performance of nursing students. By focusing on mental well-being, a more resilient healthcare workforce can be cultivated and better prepared to meet systemic challenges.

Keywords: psychological resilience; nursing students; mental health; nursing education; psychological adaptation; young adults; health promotion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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