Spiritual health and death anxiety in nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate spiritual health and death anxiety in nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This investigation adopts a cross-sectional design, involving the examination of a cohort comprising 270 individuals selected through convenience sampling. The participants were drawn from the third and fourth-year nursing students enrolled at Hamadan universities, specifically the Faculty of Nursing and the Islamic Azad University of Hamadan, during the 2021. The data collection instruments utilized in this study encompass three distinct questionnaires: students' demographic characteristics, Poltzin and Ellison's (1982) spiritual health, and Templer's death anxiety. The mean score for spiritual health in this study was 89.9 (SD=16.5), with the religious dimension averaging at 46.81 (SD=9.00), the existential dimension at 43.07 (SD=8.9), and death anxiety at 6.83 (SD=3.61). The majority of students exhibited spiritual health at an average level, while death anxiety was generally at a mild level. A statistical analysis revealed no significant relationship between spiritual health and death anxiety (P<0.05). However, a noteworthy association was found between spiritual health and income (P=0.04), as well as between death anxiety and employment status (P=0.02). The findings of this study underscore the significance of spiritual health as a crucial factor in mitigating death anxiety. Consequently, there is a compelling need to devote efforts to enhancing the spiritual well-being of students, recognizing its pivotal role in sustaining mental well-being.