Higher levels of self-compassion were associated with lower perceived stress among nursing students, suggesting that self-compassion may serve as a potentially influential psychological factor in the perception of stress among nursing students.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Undergraduate nursing students are exposed to substantial academic and clinical stressors that may adversely affect their mental health and academic performance. Although self-compassion is considered a positive psychological resource, its association with perceived stress as a cognitive appraisal process has been insufficiently examined, particularly among nursing students. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the association between self-compassion and perceived stress among undergraduate nursing students.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted among 265 undergraduate nursing students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences between 2023 and 2024. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling with proportional allocation across academic semesters. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Neff's Self-Compassion Scale, and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression, were conducted using SPSS version 16. A two-tailed significance level of P < 0.05 was adopted.
Results
The mean self-compassion score was 89.99 ± 12.24, and the mean perceived stress score was 26.85 ± 7.16. Nearly half of the students reported moderate levels of self-compassion (49.8%) and perceived stress (49.4%). Self-compassion demonstrated a statistically significant negative correlation with perceived stress (r = - 0.450, P < 0.001). After controlling for employment status, self-compassion explained an additional 20% of the variance (ΔR² = 0.200, P < 0.001) and remained a significant negative predictor (β = -0.448, P < 0.001), with the final model accounting for 21.6% of the variance.
Conclusion
Higher levels of self-compassion were associated with lower perceived stress among nursing students. Although the cross-sectional design limits causal inference, the findings suggest that self-compassion may serve as a potentially influential psychological factor in the perception of stress among nursing students. Integrating self-compassion-focused educational strategies into undergraduate nursing curricula could be considered a supportive approach to strengthening students' stress management capacities. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are warranted to clarify potential causal pathways and better explain variability in perceived stress among nursing students.
Self-compassion is a core professional value in nursing and is positively associated with nursing students' psychological well-being, academic performance, and caring behaviors. However, heterogeneity and influencing factors in self-compassion among nursing undergraduates remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study investigated latent profiles of self-compassion and their associated factors among Chinese undergraduate nursing students. A total of 2004 participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the self-compassion scale-short form. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct self-compassion profiles: medium self-compassion (42.71%), high self-compassion (30.59%), and an imbalanced profile characterized by higher positive self-compassion but lower reverse-scored negative self-compassion (26.70%). Multinomial logistic regression showed that gender, academic grade, professional attitude, and whether nursing was the first-choice major were significant predictors of profile membership. These findings highlight substantial heterogeneity in self-compassion among nursing undergraduates, with most students demonstrating moderate levels and potential for improvement. Tailored educational and psychological interventions based on self-compassion profiles may help enhance nursing students' self-compassion, professional identity, and mental well-being.
Hai-Lu Song, Shi-Meng Dai, Zhean He et al.· Nursing and Health Sciences· 0 citations
Psychological distress among nursing students is a major concern in nursing education. Difficulties in emotional processing and stable personality traits may be associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, yet self-concealment, alexithymia, and personality traits have rarely been examined together in undergraduate nursing students, particularly in Egypt. This study aimed to examine how self-concealment, alexithymia, and personality traits are associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate nursing students. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 353 undergraduate nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Egypt. Participants were recruited using proportionate stratified random sampling across the four academic years. Data were collected using a socio-demographic and academic questionnaire, the Self-Concealment Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analyses of variance, and multiple linear regression. Psychological distress symptoms were common on self-reported screening measures, and anxiety showed the greatest severity, with 53.8% of participants falling in the extremely severe symptom range. These classifications reflect screening scores rather than clinical diagnoses. Self-concealment and alexithymia were positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The adjusted regression models explained 53.1% of the variance in depression, 48.9% in anxiety, and 47.5% in stress. Self-concealment and alexithymia remained significant correlates across all three adjusted models; self-concealment showed the largest standardized coefficient for anxiety and stress, whereas alexithymia showed the largest standardized coefficient for depression. Psychological distress symptoms in nursing students were associated with self-concealment, alexithymia, and selected personality traits. The findings support early confidential screening, timely access to counseling through clear referral pathways, and targeted resilience-, mindfulness-, peer-support-, and emotion-focused programs within nursing education. Because the design was cross-sectional, these associations should not be interpreted causally.
Mira Naguib Abdelrazek, Laila Saad Mahmoud, Marwa Fouad Hanafy Mahmoud et al.· BMC Nursing· 0 citations
Background Based on the Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions, this study aimed to examine the associations between academic emotions and self-efficacy among nursing undergraduates, and to provide a theoretical basis for optimizing nursing education interventions. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 659 nursing undergraduates from a university. Data were collected using the Academic Emotions Scale and the Self-efficacy Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. The effects of different dimensions of academic emotions on self-efficacy were examined, while controlling for demographic variables such as gender and age. Results The mean self-efficacy score of nursing undergraduates was 30.41 ± 5.15. Correlation analysis showed that confidence, excitement, and satisfaction were significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.56–0.67, P < 0.01), whereas anxiety, boredom, and frustration were significantly negatively correlated with self-efficacy (r = −0.16 to −0.23, P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that, after adjustment for demographic variables, the model was statistically significant (F = 83.509, P < 0.001), explaining 50.7% of the variance in self-efficacy (R2 = 0.507, adjusted R2 = 0.501). Confidence and satisfaction were independent positive predictors of self-efficacy, whereas anxiety was an independent negative predictor. Although boredom showed a small positive association after adjustment, excitement and frustration were not independently associated with self-efficacy. No evidence of multicollinearity was observed. Conclusions Academic emotions were significantly associated with self-efficacy among nursing undergraduates. Confidence and satisfaction were independent positive predictors of self-efficacy, whereas anxiety was the only independent negative predictor. Interventions aimed at fostering positive academic emotions and reducing anxiety may help enhance self-efficacy in nursing students.
Lili Guo, Danfeng Yan, Zhi Chai et al.· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
University students face increasing academic stress that demands strong self-regulation skills. Although time management and self-compassion have been widely studied separately, empirical studies examining their direct relationship within the Indonesian higher education context remain limited. This study aimed to examine the relationship between time management and self-compassion among psychology students. A quantitative correlational design was employed involving 133 active undergraduate psychology students from the 2022 cohort at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Time Management Questionnaire (Britton & Tesser, 1991; α = 0.950) and the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003; α = 0.968). Due to non-normal data distribution, Spearman's Rho correlation analysis was conducted. The results revealed a very strong positive correlation between time management and self-compassion (r = 0.860, p < 0.01), with a coefficient of determination (r² = 0.739) indicating that 73.9% of the variance in self-compassion is associated with time management. These findings demonstrate that time management functions not merely as a technical academic skill but as a psychological foundation that supports students' self-compassion and academic resilience. Theoretically, this study bridges self-regulation theory and self-compassion theory within the Indonesian educational context. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of integrating time management and self-compassion training into university orientation programs and counseling services to enhance students' adaptive coping capacities and psychological well-being. Future research employing longitudinal or experimental designs is recommended to examine causal mechanisms and cross-cultural generalizability.
Keywords: higher education, Indonesia, psychology students, self-compassion, time management
Regression analysis showed that age and academic level significantly predicted stress, with younger and Level 200 students reporting higher stress, with younger students and those in Level 200 are particularly vulnerable.
Cindy Agyekumwaa Abankwah, Senoo-Dogbey Vivian Efua, Thelma Donkor et al.· Nursing & Midwifery Rese...· 0 citations
Moral sensitivity, as a fundamental component of nursing ethics, should be emphasized from the very beginning of nursing education. It is hypothesized that individual characteristics such as self-compassion and emotional intelligence are associated with moral sensitivity. This descriptive-correlational study aimed to examine the predictive value of self-compassion and emotional intelligence for moral sensitivity among nursing students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences. The study population consisted of 263 nursing students who were selected using the census sampling method. Data were collected using the standardized Self-Compassion Scale developed by Raes, the Bradberry and Greaves Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and the Lützén Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS version 19. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between moral sensitivity and emotional intelligence (r=0.37, p<0.01). However, no significant relationship was found between moral sensitivity and self-compassion (r=0.44, p>0.05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis further indicated that emotional intelligence, as a predictor variable, explained 13% of the variance in moral sensitivity (p < 0.001), while self-compassion did not make a significant contribution to the prediction of moral sensitivity (p > 0.05). The most important finding of this study was that emotional intelligence can serve as a predictor of moral sensitivity among nursing students. Therefore, it is recommended that emotional intelligence training be incorporated into the nursing curriculum and that effective educational strategies be further investigated
H. Koohestani, N. Baghcheghi, M. Birjandi et al.· Iranian Journal of Medical E...· 0 citations
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