The relationship between self-esteem and self-efficacy among nursing students in Qazvin: A cross-sectional study

Nursing is a profession which necessitates very good mental health. Hence, identifying the factors affecting the mental health is highly important. Self-esteem and self-efficacy are addressed as the most important factors affecting mental health that play a very important role in promoting the mental health of individuals, especially nursing students. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between self-esteem and self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students.

This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted in 2020. Totally, 150 nursing students at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences were selected through a convenience sampling method. For data collection, a checklist for demographic and background variables, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Sherer Self-Efficacy Scale were used. All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards. Data analysis was performed by SPSS v. 22 using descriptive tests and Spearman's correlation coefficient.

The mean and standard deviation of the total scores of self-esteem and self-efficacy in students were 21.25±5.07 out of 30and 62.66±7.31 out of 85, respectively. Also, a positive and significant relationship between the total scores of self-esteem and self-efficacy was observed (p< 0.001, r = 0.497).

It was concluded that the students had moderate level of self-esteem and good level of self-efficacy. Also, self-esteem was significantly higher in students with higher levels of self-efficacy. Further studies in this regard on other factors of mental health are recommended.