Background: Due to their age and their unique characteristics that differentiate them from the rest of the population, nursing students are considered to be a vulnerable group in terms of the manifestation of psychological disorders. At the same time, due to their status, students hold the lowest possible position in the educational community, especially in comparison with the teachers. The prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in nursing students is relatively high. Objective: This study aims to examine the effect of religious coping on the mental health of nursing students during the second wave of the pandemic in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among nursing students. Data were collected via an e-survey consisting of three parts, including GAD2, PHQ2 and B-RCOPE. Results: From the total of 137 nursing students the 84.8 % were female, 88.4% were heterosexual, 48.6% were single, and 63% were urban residents. According to the cut-off point of PHQ2 and GAD2, 23.2% of the participants were experiencing depressive symptoms and 25.4% anxiety symptoms. Negative religious coping was associated with poorer mental health. Conclusion: Nursing students experienced very high levels of stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and negative religious coping was associated with mental health in this unusual situation.
Key words: mental health, religious coping, nursing students, COVID-19
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