A descriptive study of anxiety levels and coping skills among university nursing students in Saudi Arabia

Social interaction anxiety is a prevalent and impactful form of anxiety. The condition is characterized by intense fear or distress in social situations where individuals anticipate negative evaluation or judgment by others. University students are vulnerable to social interaction anxiety due to new social and academic demands, such as public speaking, group participation, and interactions with faculty and peers. Moreover, these challenges are often heightened by transitions to unfamiliar environments that creating stressors then impair communication, engagement, and academic performance. However, there is a lack of studies addressing these issues among nursing students in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the social interaction anxiety levels and coping skills among students at Riyadh Elm University, Saudi Arabia. The study used a descriptive design and employed purposive sampling to recruit 405 students who met the inclusion criteria. The sample size was determined based on an expected frequency of 50%, a confidence coefficient of 99%, and an acceptable error of 1%. Data were collected using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and Brief COPE Inventory. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Ethical clearance was obtained prior to the study. The results showed that most participants (83.46%) exhibited low levels of social interaction anxiety, while 15.56% reported moderate levels. Female students reported higher levels of social anxiety than male students. The most common coping strategies were avoidance, altering consciousness, and seeking support, with seeking support being the most prominent. These findings highlight the need for community nurses to develop intervention strategies to address psychological problems among nursing students. Keywords: Anxiety levels, coping skills, nursing students, research among students, social interaction anxiety