Saudi nursing students’ academic resilience and positive mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This manuscript addresses the understudied area of academic resilience and positive mental health among Saudi Arabian nursing students. The aim was to elucidate the relationship and predictive factors between demographic characteristics and both academic resilience and positive mental health in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional methodology, the study collected data from 1413 nursing students from four government universities in Saudi Arabia using two self-report instruments. Analytical methods included Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis. Results showed that gender and grade point average (GPA) were weakly correlated with students' academic resilience and positive mental health. Notably, these factors were significant predictors of academic resilience and mental well-being in this cohort. The research highlights gender and GPA as critical factors influencing nursing students' ability to cope with academic challenges, potentially extending beyond the pandemic period. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics that shape nursing students' academic and psychological resilience during unprecedented times.