Screen time and stress: understanding how digital burnout influences health among nursing students

Introduction: With growing reliance on digital platforms in education, nursing students face increasing screen exposure and academic pressures. Region-specific evidence on how digital burnout predicts psychological health among UAE nursing students is limited. Aim: Assess the correlation between digital burnout and general psychological health and identify predictors of both. Methods: Quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study of 140 nursing students in the 2024–2025 academic year. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression. Results: Digital burnout was high overall; general psychological health indicated moderate distress. Overall digital burnout correlated strongly and positively with overall psychological health (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Regression identified younger age, enrollment in >5 classes, and nursing department affiliation as significant determinants of higher digital burnout; academic level showed no substantial impact. Digital burnout was a major predictor of poorer general psychological health; other demographic/academic variables were not significant. Conclusion: Digital burnout, primarily driven by academic pressures, adversely affects mental and physical well-being in nursing students. Institutional strategies fostering digital well-being, adjusting course loads, and expanding mental health support are essential. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Rasha Kadri Ibrahim, Malak Khaled, Meznah Almansoori, Maryam Almazrouei, Aseel Ashraf, Shorok Hamed Alahmedi, Abdelaziz Hendy