Mental health and addiction experiences in undergraduate nursing students in a higher educational institute: a United Kingdom study

Abstract

Purpose Concerns surrounding the mental health and well-being of undergraduate nursing students within higher educational institutions (HEI) have been prevalent in academia and clinical practice. Methods The study involved 128 nursing students enrolled in the pre-registration nursing programmes in a UK higher education institute. A mixed-methods survey design, a 29-question survey comprising both open and closed questions was administered to explore the students' experiences with mental health and substance use. Quantitative and Qualitative data were analysed using SPSS version 29 descriptive statistics and NVivo 15 was utilised for the thematic analysis. Findings. Urgent action is needed to integrate mental health training into the curriculum and provide faculty support. The urgent need of more utilisation of institutional support services and a need for institutional systemic changes to provide access to mental health support. Providing essential skills and support for student success contributes to the overall well- being of the nursing workforce. Conclusions:The integration of thorough mental health support and action early in the curriculum is crucial to enable student nurses to achieve and develop healthy strategies that will enable them to become strong resilient future nurses, which feel fully supported and equipped to deal with caring for patients.