Navigating the storm: a scoping review of support strategies for postgraduate nursing students with probable anxiety and depression in South Africa

BACKGROUND: Postgraduate nursing students' mental health, particularly anxiety and depression, is often neglected, affecting retention and timely completion of studies. OBJECTIVE: This paper aimed to identify available support strategies for postgraduate nursing students with probable anxiety and depression in South Africa. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, refined by Levac and Colquhoun, and aligned with the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Electronic databases, including ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, PubMed, and regional databases like African Index Medicus, were searched. Primary studies published in peer-reviewed journals in English between 2013 and 2024 were included. RESULTS: The search identified 534 studies, of which eight met the inclusion criteria. Key findings revealed six main themes for support strategies: emotional support from supervisors, peer group networks, communication and interaction as support mechanisms for mental well-being, employer support, stress-relief strategies, and role play as a coping strategy. CONCLUSION: This scoping review is the first to document support strategies for postgraduate nursing students with mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression in South Africa. It highlights significant gaps in the literature and the urgent need for tailored support strategies. The current support strategies are poorly structured, emphasizing the need for further observational and mixed-methods studies.