Publication:

Anxiety and depression: prevalence and correlates among undergraduate students of a government nursing college of Murshidabad District, West Bengal

Background Mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression, have become significant concerns among college and university students worldwide. Nursing students, due to their unique academic and clinical training stressors, are particularly vulnerable. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of anxiety and depression among undergraduate nursing students of a Government Nursing College in Murshidabad, West Bengal.

Methods An institution based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during August-November 2024 among a calculated sample of 160 nursing students selected through stratified random sampling. A pre-designed and pre-tested schedule; validated tools- patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence, while bi-variate and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify significant correlates.

Results The mean (±SD) age of participants was 20.82 (±1.41) years. The prevalence of depression (PHQ-9≥10) and anxiety (GAD-7≥10) was 48.8%, and 40.6% respectively. Perceived academic workload, conflict with friends/roommates, perceived adequacy of sleep and familial financial vulnerability were significantly associated with both depression and anxiety. Only familial financial crisis/vulnerability appeared as significant predictor for both depression (aOR 2.652; CI: 1.252-5.618) and anxiety (aOR 2.657; CI: 1.254-5.631).

Conclusions Depression and anxiety are quite prevalent among nursing students with some of the familial and personal attributes emerging as significant correlates. These findings highlight the need for targeted mental health interventions, including stress management, peer support systems and institutional strategies to enhance student well-being.