Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Digital Fatigue Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study aimed to determine levels of stress, anxiety, depression and digital fatigue among nursing students and to examine the associations between digital fatigue components and these psychological outcomes. Methods: This descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study was conducted with 543 nursing students from a nursing faculty in Türkiye in June 2025. Data were collected face-to-face using a Personal Information Form, the Digital Fatigue Scale (DFS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: Students reported elevated levels of depression, anxiety and stress, and a moderate level of digital fatigue (DFS total mean = 2.82 ± 0.68). Female students had significantly higher anxiety, stress and digital fatigue scores than males. Daily internet use of ≥6 h was associated with higher depression, stress and digital fatigue. DASS-21 total scores were positively correlated with DFS total and all subscales. In multivariate models, digital addiction (β = 0.178), online pressure (β = 0.104), and psychosomatic problems (β = 0.174) significantly predicted depression. Psychosomatic problems (β = 0.236) and physical-mental fatigue (β = 0.156) predicted anxiety, while digital addiction (β = 0.180), psychosomatic problems (β = 0.210) and physical-mental fatigue (β = 0.157) predicted stress. These models explained 16.2%, 17.6%, and 20.1% of the total variance, respectively (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Digital fatigue is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress in nursing students. High daily internet use and female gender relate to higher symptom and fatigue scores. Incorporating digital well-being, screen-time management, and mental health support into curricula, along with institutional strategies to reduce digital burden, may protect future nurses' psychological well-being.