Developing strategies for tackling depression, anxiety and stress – A rising problem among the nursing students in a metropolitan city

Background: Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress have been of increasing concern in almost all students, nursing students being exceptions to this, as they have added responsibility to serve duties in outpatient departments and wards. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the nursing students of a tertiary care hospital and develop strategies to tackle them. Material and Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted among the nursing students of a tertiary care hospital who attended their annual checkups in the general outpatient department of the institute. Two hundred and eighty-two nursing students of the institute were enrolled in the study in whom depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using the DASS-21 validated scale. Strategies to tackle the mental issues were planned and implemented. Results: The prevalence of severe depression and anxiety found among nursing students was 1.3% and 17.2%, respectively, whereas 21.5% had severe stress. The prevalence of depression was found to be higher in 2 nd -year nursing students, whereas anxiety was found more among 1 st -year students. The strategies that were implemented helped in reducing the stress and anxiety among these students. The most liked strategy is “Mann-ki-Saheli.” Conclusion: The study focusses on the mental health of the students and having appropriate coping measures is required. Personal counseling and involving peers were the major strategies to tackle the mental health issues among nursing students.