Correlation between Positive Orientation and Control of Anger, Anxiety and Depression in Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

(1) This study analysed the relationship between positive orientation and subjective control of anger, anxiety and depression in nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the pandemic. (2) The survey was carried out by the diagnostic survey method in a group of 756 nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia. The empirical data were gathered using an original survey questionnaire, the Positive Orientation Scale and the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale. (3) It was shown that the positive orientation level in Polish students was significantly lower than in students in Spain (p < 0.0001) and Slovakia (p < 0.0001). Low results for positive orientation were obtained in nearly half (47.18%) of the respondents in the Polish sample, whereas it was 34.18% and 31.18% in the Spanish and Slovak samples, respectively (p < 0.0001). A positive orientation was the most important predictor of emotional control among the nursing students at all the sites (p < 0.0001). (4) Positive orientation has been shown to have a significant impact on emotional control in nursing students during the pandemic. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor students’ mental health during the pandemic to determine the demand for psychological and emotional support.

Positive Orientation and Fatigue Experienced by Polish Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediatory Role of Emotional Control

“…Alessandri et al argue that positive orientation is a multidimensional construct of a higher order, integrating three components, which—according to literature reports—are associated with well-being and success in many areas of human life, such as health, learning achievements and work performance [ 56 ]. The mean positive orientation score, as measured in this study, was 26.87 (SD = 5.90) points, which was much lower than in the normalization sample (M = 29.19; SD = 4.55) [ 16 ], as well as in an international study among students in Spain (M = 29.20; SD = 5.18) and Slovakia (M = 29.22; SD = 5.49) [ 57 ]. The findings of this study of positive orientation showed its level to be low in more than half of the students, which may result in unfavorable self-assessment, low life satisfaction and poor assessment of the chances of achieving personal goals, as well as negative perception of the capacity to cope with difficulties and adversities.…”

Loneliness and Satisfaction with Life among Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…There is a lack of international research showing how and to what extent life satisfaction translates into the social and emotional functioning of nursing students during a pandemic. In contrast, some variables (e.g., related to social isolation) have been previously studied in the context of pandemics and have been reported in the global literature [28][29][30]. This is confirmed by the findings of Eweid et al, which showed that the most stressful factors for nursing students during the clinical classes during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with a risk of infection and virus transmission to a relative.…”

“…This study is part of an international research project executed within the framework of one of the researcher’s (E.K.) scientific internship programme [ 28 , 32 ]. This project was given a favourable opinion (No.…”

“…A total of 756 nursing students participated in the study, including 390 in Poland (51.59%), 196 in Spain (25.93%) and 170 in Slovakia (22.49%) [ 28 , 32 ]. The mean participant age was 21.20 years (SD = 1.97).…”

“…There is a lack of international research showing how and to what extent life satisfaction translates into the social and emotional functioning of nursing students during a pandemic. In contrast, some variables (e.g., related to social isolation) have been previously studied in the context of pandemics and have been reported in the global literature [ 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”