Heterogeneity in Psychological Resilience and Mental Health among Newly Graduated Nursing Students: A Latent Profile and Generalized Additive Model Analysis

Abstract

Background

Psychological resilience is important to mental health and professional development in newly graduated nursing students (NGNSs). However, the association between psychological resilience and mental health in NGNSs is less explored.

Purpose

The current study was designed to determine mental health profiles measured by the Kessler 10 scale (K10) and evaluate the non-linear association between psychological resilience and mental health in NGNSs.

Methods

A total of 472 NGNSs from the Be Resilient to Nursing Career program were assessed using the K10 and ten-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10). Latent profile analysis and generalized additive model analysis were performed.

Results

A four-class model based on the K10 was identified: lowest (28.0%), lower-middle (36.4%), upper-middle (26.1%), and highest (9.5%) subgroups. Academic degree and psychological resilience were significant indicators of mental health profiles. Psychological resilience was negatively and nonlinearly correlated with mental health when the CD-RISC 10 score was >17.

Conclusion

There exists heterogeneity in NGNSs’ mental health. The negative and nonlinear association between psychological resilience and mental health can only be confirmed in NGNSs with moderate and high resilience levels.

Keywords:

• psychological resilience
• mental health
• latent profile analysis
• generalized additive model analysis
• newly graduated nursing students

Ethics

The current study is part of the Be Resilient to Nursing Career (ChiCTR2000038693) program and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ZYYEC-ERK [2020] 132).

Disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71904033), Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (19YJCZH227), Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Department of Education of Guangdong Province (2020WTSCX009), Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Guangzhou (2021GZGJ57), and Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (2020SKXK01, 2021SKYB07).