Sleep Quality and Psychological Distress in Chinese Nursing Interns: The Moderating Effect of Social Support in the Association with Anxiety and Depression

BackgroundNursing interns are at high risk of psychological distress due to academic and clinical stressors. While poor sleep quality is linked to anxiety and depression, the buffering role of social support remains underexplored in this population. AimsTo explore the role of social support in regulating the relationship between sleep and mental health among nursing interns. MethodsA total of 396 nursing interns completed self-administered questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Hierarchical regression and simple slope analyses were used to test moderation effects. ResultsPoor sleep quality was significantly associated with higher anxiety ({beta}=0.449, P<0.001) and depression ({beta}=0.535, P<0.001). Social support significantly moderated these relationships. Under low social support, the effects of sleep quality on anxiety ({beta} = 0.602) and depression ({beta} = 0.779) were stronger than under high support (anxiety: {beta} = 0.396; depression: {beta} = 0.515). ConclusionsSocial support buffers the adverse psychological effects of poor sleep among nursing interns. Interventions should integrate sleep hygiene education with strategies to enhance social support.