Symptoms of depression among female nursing students

This study examines the extent to which depressive symptoms in female nursing students are affected by specific stressors and coping styles. Three hypotheses were examined for differences in symptoms of depression scores and a model was tested for predicting depression in female nursing students. Responses were gathered from three questionnaires (Hassles and Uplifts Scales, Symptoms of Stress Inventory, and Coping Styles) from 408 female baccalaureate, master's and doctoral students from a major Midwest research university. Symptoms of depression were not significantly different among the students and were as high as a comparative group of stress management clients. Path analysis was used to examine the patterns of stressors (hassles, uplifts, personal and student-related stress), coping (coping styles, habits, quitting school, and drug use), and a biological factor (depression around the menstrual cycle) that predicted symptoms of depression. All hypothesized variables had direct paths to symptoms of depression; the path model explained 58% of the variance. Results from this study support the biological and psychological theories of depression in women and raise important questions of particular relevance to women, nursing students and educators.