Study of Social Anxiety in Nursing Students of Tehran Universities of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Social anxiety is an important factor in peoples’ mental health. Good mental health while studying in university makes students able to deal effectively with numerous stressors that they experience. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the social anxiety of nursing students in grades one to four of medical universities in Tehran.

Methods: In this analytic cross-sectional study, 400 students from universities of medical sciences in Tehran were recruited by stratified sampling with proportional allocation. Data were collected during the first semester in 2010. Students completed a two-part questionnaire including the Liebowitz social anxiety questionnaire and a demographic information form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods and an analytical test by SPSS statistical software.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the total scores of social anxiety of first- to fourth-year students. The mean score of the avoidance of social interaction dimension in fourth-year students was significantly lower than in first year students (p<0.05).

Conclusion: In regard to the relationship between social anxiety and interpersonal communication as an associated part of nursing care, decrease of social anxiety of students could play an important role in their mental health. According to the results of this study, it seems that the placement of students in the nursing education system does not produce any changes in their social anxiety.