Background. The mental health of university students has worsened over time, and it is young people who have suffered the most from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mental health. Anxiety and depression are the most common symptoms reported by university students and are often the cause of disabilities, either in academic performance or in other spheres of life. Aim. The aim of this study was to both assess the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Portuguese university students and analyze the factors associated with these symptoms. Methods. A quantitative cross-sectional study with a sample of 3,399 university students from seven Portuguese higher education institutions was conducted. The following questionnaires were used: the generalized anxiety disorder assessment scale (GAD-7), the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), and a study-created sociodemographic questionnaire. The Kendall correlation coefficient, chi-square test of independence, Spearman correlation coefficient, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann–Whitney-Wilcoxon test, and Kruskall-Wallis test were used to analyze the association between variables. The statistical analysis was done using the software R Statistics (Version 4.0.4), using a significance level of 0.05. Results. Mild to severe anxiety symptoms were reported by 75% of the participants, and 61.2% described mild to severe depressive symptoms. Of the sample, 19.5% reported a previous diagnosis of a mental disorder, with 38.7% diagnosed after the pandemic began. Additionally, 23% reported taking medication for mental health issues, and 26.7% had considered self-harm or harbored thoughts of being “better off dead.” The study found lower anxiety and depressive symptoms ( ) among men, students with higher socioeconomic status, those who frequently traveled home, individuals without prior mental health diagnoses, those with better academic performance, and those who avoided substances like coffee, tobacco, cannabis, and other illegal psychoactive substances. Interestingly, students in romantic relationships exhibited more anxiety symptoms ( ). Moreover, participants who believed they had experienced moral or sexual harassment displayed higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms ( ). Conclusions. There was a decrease in the mental health of university students after the pandemic compared to prepandemic studies, and the proportion of students with anxiety and depressive symptoms was alarming. There is an urgent need to implement programs in universities to promote students’ mental health.

Background: The world’s population changed with the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Burnout arises due to overwork, prolonged work periods, a lack of human and material resources, etc. Several studies have reported the incidence of burnout syndrome in nurses that work in intensive care units (ICUs). The aim was to map the scientific evidence related to nurses’ burnout in the ICU, namely the repercussions of SARS-CoV-2 in terms of burnout among nurses. Methods: A scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology guidelines to search for and synthesise studies published between 2019 and 2022. The databases searched were MEDLINE, CINAHL, LILACS, SCOPUS, PsycINFO and OPEN GREY. A total of fourteen articles were eligible to be included. Results: A content analysis of the selected articles was carried out, and three categories emerged that corresponded to the dimensions of burnout according to Maslach and Leiter: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation dimension and a lack of personal accomplishment. It was evident that nurses who worked in the ICU during the pandemic showed high levels of burnout. Conclusions: It is recommended that hospital administrations hire health professionals, namely nurses, as a strategic and operational management strategy to reduce the risk of increased burnout during pandemic outbreaks.

(1) Background: In adolescence, the onset of physical signs of sexual maturity and early sexual contact have become increasingly common. However, most adolescents are not adequately prepared for this event, which can lead to significant negative consequences for young people. This study aimed to evaluate knowledge about sexuality during adolescence. (2) Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, and correlational design was used, with 289 students from a school in the northern region of Portugal. From an online questionnaire, sociodemographic information and the Sexuality Knowledge Questionnaire were used to collect data. (3) Results: Most adolescents (54.0%) were female and aged between 15 and 17 years, with an average knowledge score of 17.04. The worst results were found in the dimensions of first sexual intercourse and sexual concerns, with men scoring lower, and the dimension of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, where women performed better. The best scores were in the sexuality and sexual pleasure dimension, with women performing better, and the counseling and care in sexual and reproductive health dimension, where men performed better. (4) Conclusions: The approach to sexuality education must be constant throughout the life cycle, and it is essential to provide appropriate information to adolescents about issues related to sexuality.

Objectives: This study aims to develop and validate the Serious Educational Game in Nursing Appraisal Scale (SEGiNAS), a tool designed to evaluate the implementation of serious games within nurse education contexts of quantity of process, quality of process, and learning outcomes. Methods and Materials: This methodological and psychometric study aimed to develop and validate a scale. The item generation phase was based on the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, resulting in a 20-item scale. The validation phase involved evaluating the psychometric scale by surveying 160 Portuguese nurses. Results: A factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure corresponding to the scale’s designed dimensions, explaining a total variance of 64.5%. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency for all factors, including engagement and teaching effectiveness (0.925), learning impact and practical application (0.883), and content relevance and clarity (0.848). The dimensions were engagement and teaching effectiveness, learning impact and practical application, and content relevance and clarity. Conclusions: The SEGiNAS scale represents a valid and reliable tool for evaluating serious games in nursing education. Its development fills an existing gap in assessing the teaching–learning process with serious games. This study was not registered.

It is essential to explore alternative methods to motivate stroke survivors throughout their lengthy rehabilitation journey. Exergames have emerged as promising tools for rehabilitating this demographic. We aimed to synthesize the combined evidence from meta-analyses that assessed the effects of exergames in the rehabilitation of stroke survivors. The umbrella review was conducted utilizing several databases, including MEDLINE® (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), CINAHL® (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SPORTDiscus®, and Scopus®. It included studies published until December 2023 without any restrictions based on publication date. The analysis included 11 meta-analyses involving approximately 9,615 patients, reflecting a growing adoption of exergames in post-stroke rehabilitation since 2015, focusing on using Nintendo Wii. The analyzed studies varied widely in intervention duration (from 1 to 16 weeks) and were applied across different phases of post-stroke rehabilitation, from the acute to the chronic phase. Significant improvements were observed in balance and upper limb functionality, although there was notable methodological heterogeneity and variability in the results. This study highlights the value of exergames in the rehabilitation of stroke survivors and recommends future research that adopts rigorous methodological designs with clearly specified intervention stages. It underscores the importance of additional qualitative studies to explore the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals regarding exergames, aiming to refine rehabilitation strategies and enhance the clinical benefits achieved.

Background: Although surgical treatments for breast cancer have exhibited advanced interventions, axillary lymph node dissection can limit functionality and compromise women’s self-care. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a rehabilitation nursing program in improving self-care performance in women undergoing breast surgery with axillary lymph node dissection. Methods: This quantitative, quasi-experimental study involved 48 women recruited from a main hospital between 2018 and 2019. The participants completed a three-month rehabilitation program at home. The evaluation instrument used was the DASH questionnaire. This study was not registered. Results: The functionality of the upper limb ipsilateral to the surgery improved significantly (p < 0.001) after the implementation of the program, influencing the participants’ capacity for self-care, including washing/drying their hair, washing their back, and wearing a shirt. The average DASH total score increased from 54.4 to 8.1 after the program. Conclusions: The rehabilitation nursing program positively influenced the participants’ self-care ability. Incorporating rehabilitation nursing programs into breast cancer treatment can improve self-care performance and the overall quality of patients’ lives. This study was not registered.