Psychological capital mitigates the impact of interpersonal sensitivity on anxiety in future nurses

A new study published in BMC Psychology has found that those who are highly sensitive to others’ reactions are more likely to experience anxiety, and that their levels of inner psychological resources play a key role in this link.

Even before nursing students begin their careers in hospitals, many experience anxiety tied to academic workloads, clinical placements, and the emotional weight of caring for patients.

Researchers have long known that stress and anxiety are common in nursing programs, but this new study sheds light on why some students may be more vulnerable than others.

One factor the researchers examined is interpersonal sensitivity, which refers to being unusually alert to how others behave, speak, or react. People high in interpersonal sensitivity often worry about being judged, criticized, or rejected. While this trait has been studied in relation to depression, its connection to anxiety—especially among nursing students—has received far less attention.

To address this gap, the research team – led by Yanyan Mi (Xuzhou Medical University) and Zhen Wang (Taishan Vocational College of Nursing) – surveyed 1,815 nursing undergraduates (1,511 females) at a university in eastern China.

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Students completed questionnaires measuring anxiety symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, perceived social support, and psychological capital. Perceived social support refers to an individual’s subjective feeling of being supported by intimate relationships with family, friends, or significant others such as teachers, classmates, and relatives. Psychological capital is a positive mental state that includes a person’s sense of hope, resilience, optimism, and confidence in their ability to handle challenges.

The results revealed that students who scored higher in interpersonal sensitivity were much more likely to report anxiety symptoms. Importantly, the researchers found that psychological capital played a powerful mediating role. Students who were highly sensitive to others tended to have lower levels of psychological capital, which in turn made them more prone to anxiety. In other words, when students lacked inner psychological resources, such as confidence or resilience, their sensitivity to social interactions had a stronger emotional impact.

Social support also played a role, though the mechanics were slightly different. While the study confirmed that social support can independently buffer the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and anxiety, it was not the primary driver in the combined chain model. Instead, social support contributed most effectively when combined with psychological capital in a chain effect. This suggests that supportive relationships from others help build internal psychological resources, which then protect against anxiety.

The findings highlight an important message for nursing programs: building students’ psychological capital may be one of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety, especially for those who are highly sensitive in social situations. Interventions such as resilience training, group counseling, and mentorship programs could help students develop stronger internal coping skills.

“If nursing students leave nursing profession positions, the shortage of nurses will continue to expand, the quality of nursing will be affected in the future, the relationship between nurses and patients will be more tense, and the safety of patients will be threatened. … As such, there is a crucial need to prioritize the mental health of undergraduate nursing students,” Mi and Wang’s team emphasized.

However, the authors note several limitations. For instance, the study has a cross‑sectional design, which cannot definitively prove cause and effect, and all participants were sourced from a single university.

The study, “Exploring the impact of interpersonal sensitivity on anxiety symptoms: the mediating role of psychological capital and social support among nursing students,” was authored by Yanyan Mi, Zhen Wang, Lixin Peng, Chaoran Zhang, and Haibo Xu.