Objective

To determine in health sciences interns if self-care is a factor whose direct effect on mental wellness is mediated by attitudes and facilities during internship, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

Cross-sectional, multivariate correlational research. 174 interns participated during the COVID-19 pandemic, selected by convenience sampling; three self-report scales were applied.

Results

Among the health sciences interns, being a woman, having a family member at home infected with COVID-19, and having an unfavorable general health status perception are risk factors that are likely to have a negative state of mental wellness (1.9>OR<3.9); while self-care together with attitudes and facilities during the internship are protective factors to counteract the existence of a negative state of mental wellness (OR<1; p<0.05). The structural regression model shows that self-care variables such as attitudes adopted, and facilities experienced by students in the internship have direct effects on mental wellness; likewise, attitudes and facilities play a mediating role between self-care and mental wellness (CFI=0.96; TLI=0.95; RMSEA and SRMR<0.08). The model as a whole explains 50.7% of the variability of mental wellness.

Conclusion

Self-care is a factor whose direct effect on mental wellness is mediated by attitudes and facilities in internship during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.