The mediating effect of social intelligence in the association between social anxiety and mental health among Chinese nursing students

Social anxiety is highly prevalent among nursing students and is associated with poor mental health. However, the underlying mechanism in such an association remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the potential mediating role of social intelligence in the association between social anxiety and mental health using the Stress-Coping Model (SCM) as the theoretical framework. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 748 nursing students recruited from a Chinese University from December 2022 to March 2023. Students completed an online questionnaire to assess their social anxiety, social intelligence, and mental health. The PROCESS SPSS Macro (model 4) was used to test the mediation effect of social intelligence on the association between social anxiety and mental health. The results showed that nursing students had moderate levels of social anxiety, social intelligence, and mental health, which varied according to their profile characteristics. Social anxiety was negatively associated with mental health, and the association was partially mediated by social intelligence. Our study offers fresh insights into the impact of social anxiety on mental health and sheds light on the intricate mediating role of social intelligence. These findings offer valuable insights for research and clinical endeavors aimed at formulating psychosocial interventions to enhance the mental health of nursing students.