mediating role of health anxiety in the relationship between feelings of loneliness and personality traits among nurses

Background: health anxiety has been correlated with life satisfaction, personality, and alexithymia in junior college nursing students. objectives: the present study sought to provide a model of the relationship between feelings of loneliness and personality traits with the mediating role of health anxiety among nurses. methods: according to the data collection method, this research was part of a descriptive-correlational study performed using path analysis. the statistical population included all nurses at ibn sina, omid, and erfan hospitals in tehran in 2022. a total of 300 nurses were selected via the convenience sampling method and completed the loneliness scale, the five-factor personality inventory, and short health anxiety inventory. data analysis was performed using spss software and smart pls3. results: the results demonstrated that extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness had a direct impact on health anxiety and loneliness (p<0.05). the mediating role of health anxiety was confirmed in the link between extroversion and loneliness, as well as between agreeableness and loneliness (p<0.05). nonetheless, the indirect effect of conscientiousness on loneliness through health anxiety was found to be non-significant (p<0.05). overall, the model showed a good fit, indicating that personality traits and health anxiety play a significant role in determining nurses’ feelings of loneliness (p<0.05). conclusion: a thorough understanding of health-related aspects of nurses can assist mental health researchers and managers in developing and implementing precise and efficient psychosocial interventions.