Mental Health and Well-Being of Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Canonical Correlation Analysis

Background: In recent decades, the relationship between mental health and well-being has been explored from many perspectives, with emphasis on the two continua model of health, and in different contexts, with an emphasis on young higher education students. Both mental health and well-being are considered predictors of academic success. This study aims to analyze the relationship between mental health and well-being among first- and fourth-year nursing students. The sample consisted of 473 nursing students from a university in the central region of mainland Portugal. Methods: Data were collected using the short versions of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Results: Canonical correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between psychological distress and mental well-being. The first statistically significant canonical function (p < 0.05; Cr=0.601) was primarily defined by depression (canonical loading = -0.992) in the distress group and emotional well-being (canonical loading = 0.948) in the well-being group. Redundancy analysis confirmed a significant interdependence: variables related to psychological distress explained 27.8% of the variance in well-being, while well-being variables explained 23.8% of the variance in distress. Conclusions: These results reinforce the two continua model, highlighting the need to address both mental health and well-being throughout higher education.