Effects of verbal abuse among peers during clinical practice, coping, and sense of coherence on the mental well-being of nursing students

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors that affect the mental well-being of nursing students who have completed clinical practice. Methods: We used a cross-sectional descriptive design. A total of 314 nursing students in Daegu participated in this study between January 30 and February 23, 2023. We collected data using the Verbal Abuse Scale, Coping Strategy Index, Sense of Coherence Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Scale. We analyzed the data using hierarchical regression analysis with IBM SPSS version 26.0 software. Results: The mental well-being of nursing students showed a positive correlation with coping (r=.31, <i>p</i><.001) and sense of coherence (r=.60, <i>p</i><.001). It showed a negative correlation with experiences of verbal abuse among peers during clinical practice (r= -.14, <i>p</i>=.012). Regression analysis identified verbal abuse among peers during clinical practice (β= -.13, <i>p</i>=.002), coping (β=.19, <i>p</i><.001), and sense of coherence (β=.49, <i>p</i><.001) as significant predictors of mental well-being, explaining 45% of the variance. Conclusion: To increase mental well-being among nursing students, it is important to develop interventions that reduce verbal abuse among peers, support effective coping, and strengthen the sense of coherence.