Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Digital Fatigue Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine levels of stress, anxiety, depression and digital fatigue among nursing students and to examine the associations between digital fatigue components and these psychological outcomes.

Methods

This descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study was conducted with 543 nursing students from a nursing faculty in Türkiye in June 2025. Data were collected face-to-face using a Personal Information Form, the Digital Fatigue Scale (DFS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed.

Results

Students reported elevated levels of depression, anxiety and stress, and a moderate level of digital fatigue (DFS total mean = 2.82 ± 0.68). Female students had significantly higher anxiety, stress and digital fatigue scores than males. Daily internet use of ≥6 h was associated with higher depression, stress and digital fatigue. DASS-21 total scores were positively correlated with DFS total and all subscales. In multivariate models, digital addiction (β = 0.178), online pressure (β = 0.104), and psychosomatic problems (β = 0.174) significantly predicted depression. Psychosomatic problems (β = 0.236) and physical-mental fatigue (β = 0.156) predicted anxiety, while digital addiction (β = 0.180), psychosomatic problems (β = 0.210) and physical-mental fatigue (β = 0.157) predicted stress. These models explained 16.2%, 17.6%, and 20.1% of the total variance, respectively (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Digital fatigue is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress in nursing students. High daily internet use and female gender relate to higher symptom and fatigue scores. Incorporating digital well-being, screen-time management, and mental health support into curricula, along with institutional strategies to reduce digital burden, may protect future nurses' psychological well-being.