Mental health promotion knowledge and practices of nursing students: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: High levels of mental distress have been documented among nursing students, but only a few seek help to promote or manage their mental health. Although health promotion is included in their curricula and institutional mental health services are provided to support them in managing the stress they experience during their training, it appears as if the students do not practice mental health promotion for themselves. Aim: The study aimed to explore and describe nursing students’ personal knowledge and the systemic barriers to mental health promotion. Setting: The research was done at a nursing education institution in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive contextual qualitative study was conducted with eleven undergraduate students during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured face-to-face interviews until saturation was reached, followed by a thematic analysis. Results: Three categories were identified, namely ‘rely on self, family and friends,’ ‘depend on lecturers and institutional support services’ and ‘the need for mental health promotion for students’. Conclusion: Nursing students at the institution were partially knowledgeable about mental health promotion but not all practised appropriate health-promoting mechanisms when dealing with academic and personal challenges. Contribution: Nursing students need to be supported in their academic journey to become professional nurses. The authors recommend that institutions should adopt mental health-supportive campus cultures to improve students’ mental health, encourage the maintenance of peer support groups and initiate extracurricular health-promoting activities.