Understanding the relationship between resilience and psychological well-being among nursing students in Palestine

Abstract

Background Nursing students are exposed to various academic, clinical, and emotional stressors that may negatively impact their well-being. Resilience has been identified as a protective factor against such stressors; however, the relationship between resilience and well-being among nursing students in Palestine remains underexplored.

Objective This study aimed to examine the relationship between resilience and well-being among nursing students in Palestine.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 297 nursing students at Palestinian Ahliya University from January 10 to March 20, 2025. Data were collected using two standardized instruments: the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Descriptive statistics summarized the sample characteristics and scale scores. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between resilience and well-being. Multiple linear regression was employed to identify predictors of well-being.

Results The mean well-being score was 81.8 (SD = 15.7), and the mean resilience score was 33.9 (SD = 3.8), indicating relatively high levels of well-being and resilience among participants. A significant positive correlation was found between resilience and well-being (r = 0.464, p < 0.001), as well as between academic year (r = 0.216, p < 0.001) and age (r = 0.133, p = 0.021) with well-being. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that resilience was the only significant predictor of well-being (B = 1.840, p < 0.001). The overall model was statistically significant (R² = 0.219, adjusted R² = 0.211, p < 0.001), explaining 21.9% of the variance in well-being.

Conclusion Resilience is a significant predictor of well-being among Palestinian nursing students. This single-university sample, reliance on self-reported data and lack of control for potential confounders such as stress or academic performance limit the generalizability and causal interpretation of the findings. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating resilience-building strategies into nursing education to support student mental health. Further studies are recommended to explore additional psychosocial predictors and longitudinal outcomes.