EVALUATION OF MENTAL OVERLOAD AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS AT A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY IN THE TRIÂNGULO MINEIRO REGION IN RELATION TO THE CURRICULAR WORKLOAD

Abstract

This article aimed to evaluate the mental overload among undergraduate nursing students at a federal university in the Triângulo Mineiro region and to identify the main factors contributing to mental distress. Additionally, it analyzed the relationship between academic workload, stress, and mental distress. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach based on discourse analysis according to Minayo (1998). The study used a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the authors to identify mental overload and the main factors contributing to mental distress among nursing students. The research was conducted with 20 students from the first to the tenth semester of the nursing undergraduate program, during the period from August to September 2024. The results of this study demonstrate a significant increase in the mental overload of the target audience, which is related to the extensive workload and its distribution throughout the course, the need to perform extracurricular tasks, psychological pressure from some professors, and the difficulty of balancing work and a full-time course.