Effects of Self-Esteem, Appearance Satisfaction, and Stress on Depression among Nursing Students

This study was conducted to help improve depression among nursing students by examining the relationships between self-esteem, appearance satisfaction, and stress and their effects on depression.The study subjects were 140 nursing students who agreed to participate, and the data collection period was from March 1 to 30, 2024.Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis were performed on the collected data using SPSS Statistics 27.0.Depression had a significant positive correlation with stress (r=.41, p<.001), while self-esteem (r=-.31,p<.001) and appearance satisfaction (r=-.39,p<.001) showed significant negative correlations.The main predictors of depression were stress (=.32, p=.003) and self-esteem (=-.28,p=.004), explaining 20.2% of the variance.Depression was negatively related to self-esteem and positively related to stress.Therefore, managing depression requires comprehensive intervention methods at department and university levels to promote self-esteem and appearance satisfaction and develop effective programs that help students manage stress independently to strengthen their internal abilities.Implementation of evidencebased interventions within the academic environment, focusing on holistic well-being and resilience building among nursing students, can provide sustainable long-term benefits for their mental health and professional development throughout their academic journey.These interventions should be systematically designed and regularly evaluated to ensure optimal outcomes supporting nursing students' psychological well-being.