Sexual harassment during clinical practicum and mental health of female nursing students in Korea

Abstract

We explored the relationship between sexual harassment experienced during a clinical practicum and the mental health. A survey was conducted using a self-report questionnaire and 290 female nursing students were selected as a study sample. The sexual harassment experience was significantly correlated with negative mental health, particularly with hostility and anxiety. In detail, verbal harassment was correlated with negative mental health, including hostility and anxiety, and visual harassment was also correlated with negative mental health, particularly hostility. Sexual harassment education focused on prevention and coping methods should be provided to female nursing students before starting their clinical practicum.