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A study of academic resilience, psychological resilience and psychological distress in undergraduate nursing students in Hong Kong and Australia during COVID-19 restrictions
Smith, Graeme D. Watson, Roger Poon, Sara Cross, Wendy Hutchison, Larissa Jacob, Elisabeth Jacob, Alycia Rahman, Muhammad Aziz Penny, Kay Lam, Louisa
Smith, Graeme D.
Watson, Roger
Poon, Sara
Cross, Wendy
Hutchison, Larissa
Jacob, Elisabeth
Jacob, Alycia
Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
Penny, Kay
Lam, Louisa
Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to examine academic resilience and its relationship with psychological resilience, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being in Chinese undergraduate students compared with an Australian cohort of nursing students.
Background
Evidence suggests that resilience acts as a protective factor against the adverse effects of stress, including psychological distress. Academic resilience, which specifically focuses on resilience in the face of academic adversity, remains largely unexplored in nursing students.
Design
A correlational cross-sectional study.
Methods
Using validated self-reported questionnaires, we aimed to increase the understanding of academic resilience in undergraduate students across two diverse international locations. Data were collected in three universities, one in Hong Kong and two in Australia, between November 2021 and January 2022 and socio-demographic information via the online Qualtrics survey platform.
Results
Across the three recruitment sites questionnaires were distributed to 956 students and 477 participated, giving a response rate of 49.9 %. Nursing students in Hong Kong showed lower academic resilience (100.8 vs 102.9; p = 0.009), lower psychological resilience (30.6 vs 36.4; p < 0.001) and lower self-efficacy (26.8 vs 30.6; p < 0.001) than their Australian counterparts. Hong Kong participants showed higher levels of psychological distress (28.6 vs 25.1; p < 0.001).
Conclusion
From a cross-cultural perspective, our study illustrates differences in levels of academic resilience, psychological resilience, and self-efficacy between nursing students in Hong Kong and Australia. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating resilience-building educational interventions within undergraduate nurse education; teaching academic resilience may provide a valuable attribute to help nursing students overcome issues of academic adversity.
Keywords
academic resilience, psychological resilience, self-efficacy, psychological distress, nursing students, nurse education
Date
2025
Type
Journal article
Journal
Book
Volume
84
Issue
Page Range
1-8
Article Number
Article 104331
ACU Department
National School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled
Notes
© 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.