Latent Profiles of Psychological Distress and Suicidal Ideation Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study of Associated Factors.

BACKGROUND

Psychological distress and suicidal ideation frequently co-occur among nursing students, but their heterogeneity is often overlooked.

OBJECTIVES

To identify latent profiles of nursing students based on psychological distress and suicidal ideation dimensions, and to explore factors associated with profile membership.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 1461 Chinese nursing students was conducted. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to psychological distress and suicidal ideation dimensions to identify profiles, and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with profile membership.

RESULTS

Three latent profiles emerged: C1: Low distress-low suicidal ideation (60.4%), C2: moderate distress-moderate suicidal ideation (30.8%), and C3: high distress-high suicidal ideation (8.8%). Multinomial regression revealed factors associated with C2/C3 vs. C1, including poor sleep quality, internet overuse/addiction, and moderate self-efficacy. Factors associated with lower likelihood of C2 vs. C1 included good academic performance, moderate/high self-esteem, and moderate/high time management skills. Factors associated with higher likelihood of C3 vs. C1 included higher body mass index (BMI), undergraduate institution enrollment, morning/neutral chronotypes, whereas exercise ≥1 time/week and a good parental relationship were associated with lower likelihood of C3 vs. C1.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students exhibit three profiles, with 8.8% belonging to C3. Profile-informed screening and preventive strategies considering factors associated with profile membership (sleep quality, internet addiction, exercise frequency, time management, self-esteem, and self-efficacy) and contextual stressors (institution type, BMI, and parental relationship) may inform future screening approaches for students exhibiting elevated psychological distress and suicidal ideation patterns.