Interpersonal sensitivity and its associated factors among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis

(2025) 24:319 Wang et al. BMC Nursing https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02910-7 BMC Nursing Open Access RESEARCH Interpersonal sensitivity and its associated factors among nursing students during the COVID‑19 pandemic: a network analysis Xue Wang1† , Jie Yuan2†, Zirong Tian3 , Xinji Shi1 , Xu Liu1 , Yibo Wu4   and Shuang Zang1*    Abstract Background Interpersonal sensitivity is a crucial individual characteristic, particularly for young nursing students. However, limited research has specifically examined interpersonal sensitivity in nursing students. This study aimed to employ network analysis to investigate the interconnectedness of interpersonal sensitivity and its associated factors among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Network analysis was employed to explore the network structure. The first network model was developed to evaluate interpersonal sensitivity. The second network model was constructed to investigate the associations between interpersonal sensitivity and variables that were found to be statistically significant in the multivariable linear regression model. Results A total of 864 nursing students participated in the study. The strongest nodes in assessing interpersonal sensitivity among nursing students encompass three distinct aspects: compliments, genuine understanding, and criticism. The multivariate linear regression analysis revealed significant associations between interpersonal sensitivity and various factors, including openness (β = 0.67), anxiety symptoms (β = 0.45), well-being (β = -0.63), loneliness (β = 1.55), and perceived social support (β = 0.66). Conclusions This study yields valuable insights into the phenomenon of interpersonal sensitivity among nursing students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings emphasize the significance of incorporating targeted interventions addressing these factors into nursing education curricula. Keywords Interpersonal sensitivity, Nursing students, COVID-19, Network analysis † Xue Wang and Jie Yuan share the first authorship on this work.. *Correspondence: Shuang Zang 1 Department of Community Nursing, School of Nursing, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110122, China 2 Jitang College of North China University of Science and Technology, No.21 Bohai Avenue, Caofeidian District, Tangshan City, Hebei Province 063000, China 3 Department of Nursing, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 Dongjiaomin Lane, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China 4 School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Wang et al. BMC Nursing (2025) 24:319 Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a profound and far-reaching influence on various facets of the healthcare system, encompassing the field of nursing education [1]. Nursing students, as the future backbone of the nursing profession, have faced significant challenges and disruptions in their learning and clinical experiences during the pandemic [2]. Unprecedented circumstances, such as changes in healthcare delivery and uncertainties about their education and future careers, have undoubtedly influenced their psychological well-being and interpersonal sensitivity [3, 4]. Literature review Prior research has highlighted that interpersonal sensitivity is an individual trait characterized by an excessive awareness of others’ behavior and emotions, coupled with heightened sensitivity to perceived rejection or criticism [5]. Interpersonal sensitivity has been extensively studied in various populations, including cancer patients, individuals with mental health disorders, college students, and nurses [6–9]. Previous research has consistently demonstrated that interpersonal sensitivity is associated with low self-esteem, negative self-concept, and increased psychological distress [10]. Individuals with higher interpersonal sensitivity are more prone to negative emotional reactions in social interactions, which can negatively impact their well-being and interpersonal relationships [11]. However, limited research has specifically focused on interpersonal sensitivity among nursing students, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the factors associated with interpersonal sensitivity in this specific population is crucial due to the unique stressors and challenges they face. Nursing students encounter a demanding educational curriculum, clinical training, and exposure to the complexities of patient care [12]. The additional stressors introduced by the pandemic, such as the existing constraints on learning resources and interpersonal interactions, further impact their psychological functioning and interpersonal sensitivity [13]. Therefore, it is essential to examine the factors associated with interpersonal sensitivity within this specific population in this period. Theoretical underpinning Cognitive-behavioral theory provides a relevant theoretical framework to understand interpersonal sensitivity among nursing students. According to the theory, individuals’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected, influencing their mental well-being [14]. Individuals high in interpersonal sensitivity may hold cognitive distortions, including negative self-perceptions, Page 2 of 12 excessive self-criticism, and overestimation of others’ negative evaluations [15]. These distortions contribute to increased interpersonal sensitivity and subsequent negative emotional outcomes. Additionally, the transactional stress model can be applied to explain how the unique stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic affect nursing students’ interpersonal sensitivity. This model emphasizes the dynamic interaction between individuals and their environment [16]. This suggests that nursing students’ perceived stress, social support, self-esteem, and COVID-19-related fears ma (...truncated)