ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Work-life balance as a mediator between perceived stress and work withdrawal behavior among critical care nurses in China: a multicenter cross-sectional study.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: The working environment of ICU nurses, which is high-intensity and fast-paced, contributes to elevated levels of perceived stress, which may consequently lead to work withdrawal behavior. Although work-life balance is regarded as a critical resource in coping with perceived stress, its mediating mechanism between perceived stress and work withdrawal behavior has not yet been fully elucidated. Objective: This study aims to examine the relationships between perceived stress, work-life balance, and work withdrawal behavior among ICU nurses in China. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September and October 2025. A total of 1,279 ICU nurses were enrolled from 58 hospitals across 16 Chinese provinces using convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected employing validated scales: the Work-Life Balance Scale (WLBS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Work Withdrawal Behavior Scale (WWBS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the relationships among variables, and the bootstrap method was utilized to test the mediating effects. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 91.35% (1,279/1400). Path analysis confirmed that perceived stress negatively influenced work-life balance ( Conclusion: The results indicate a significant association between perceived stress and work withdrawal behavior, with work-life balance playing a crucial mediating role in this relationship. These findings highlight the potential of work-life balance-focused interventions to alleviate stress, reduce withdrawal, and improve occupational health outcomes for ICU nurses.
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