Terrorism Catastrophizing and Sociodemographic Correlates Among Croatian Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/

Objectives

Fear of terrorism can impact psychological functioning and behavior even without direct exposure. Little is known about how anticipatory terrorism fears manifest among nursing students in European contexts. This study assessed terrorism catastrophizing among Croatian nursing students and examined sociodemographic predictors.

Methods

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted between October and December 2024 among 348 nursing students, using the validated Terrorism Catastrophizing Scale (TCS). Behavioral and habitual changes related to the terrorism threat were also measured. Non-parametric tests and bootstrapped regression analyses (1000 resamples) explored associations with sociodemographic variables.

Results

Mean TCS score was 38.4 ± 8.0, indicating moderate catastrophizing, with subscale means of 16.8 (Helplessness), 11.7 (Rumination), and 9.8 (Magnification). Female students scored higher across all TCS measures (p < 0.001). Employment was associated with greater catastrophizing and behavioral changes, while urban residence was linked to fewer habitual and overall behavioral modifications. Higher income was associated with lower magnification. TCS scores correlated moderately with behavioral changes (rs = 0.27, p < 0.001). Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation) were applied due to non-normal distributions.

Conclusions

Terrorism catastrophizing in this population is moderate and influenced by gender, employment, and residential context. Findings suggest targeted mental health support and tailored risk communication strategies may benefit nursing students in similar low-risk settings.