Correlations Among Nursing Students’ Perceived Stress, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Caring Behaviors, and Faculty Support

Abstract

Students’ mental health issues are noteworthy. This study examined nursing students’ perceived stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relationships among stress, PTSD, faculty support, and caring behaviors. Ninety-five undergraduate nursing students in the United States participated in the study. More than 90% of the students reported moderate to high levels of stress. Forty-three students (45.3%) scored over 31 points on the PTSD checklist. Students’ stress was positively correlated with PTSD but with no significant associations with their caring behaviors. Faculty support was negatively correlated with perceived stress and PTSD, indicating the significant influence of faculty support on students’ mental health.