Perceived Stress Among Nurses in Public Hospitals of the Northern Region of Morocco and Its Correlation with Their Social Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Professional stress in healthcare workers, particularly among nurses, is a pressing issue globally, affecting their well-being and job performance. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the level of perceived stress among nurses in the northern region of Morocco, identify related socio-demographic and professional factors, and analyze the correlation between perceived stress and social anxiety scores. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 494 nurses in the northern region of Morocco in 2022. The sample size was estimated using Bernoulli sampling method. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling to ensure proportional representation across hospitals. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire based on Perceived Stress Scale (14 items version) (PSS14), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and a section covering socio-demographic and professional characteristics. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, inferential tests, and regression analysis, were done using SPSS v.22 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, United States of America). Results: The study findings showed that 87% of nurses experienced moderate levels of perceived stress, with a mean score of 28.14 ± 6.02. In terms of social anxiety, a mean score of 53.17 ± 21.10 was noted. Risk factors associated with stress levels included gender (t = -2.951; P = 0.003), age (F = 3.466; P = 0.032) and nursing specialty (F = 2.909; P = 0.021). A moderate positive correlation was observed between perceived stress and social anxiety (r = 0.350, P = 0.001) with 12.2% of the variance in social anxiety can be explained by perceived stress (R2 = 0.122). Conclusions: The study stated that the majority of nurses had a moderate perceived stress and social anxiety in northern Morocco, with significant variations based on gender, age, and nursing specialty. A significant correlation was found between perceived stress and social anxiety. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce stress and improve labor conditions for nurses.