Investigation of the Relationship between Psychological Variables and Sleep Quality in Students of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Objectives Students of medical sciences are exposed to many emotional and mental problems. In light of the importance of sleep quality in learning and liveliness, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between psychological variables (stress, anxiety, and depression) and sleep quality of students. Design This research is a cross-sectional analytical study, where all students studying at Fasa University of Medical Sciences in 2012-2013 year were selected. To examine the students' stress, anxiety, and depression values, the standardized 21-item DASS-21 was used, and to examine their sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used. Results The results of the study demonstrated that 73% of the students have moderate and severe stress, and 46.4% of them have PSQ scores ≥ 5. The students' mean sleep quality score was 4.65 ± 2.37, and their stress score was 8.09 ± 5.14. A statistically significant relationship was found between the students' stress levels and sleep quality (P < 0.001). Conclusion The high stress levels decrease students' sleep quality. High stress levels and also the significant relationship between stress value and decrease in students' sleep quality call for more attention to and care for students' emotional and mental issues and timely proper interference on the part of authorities.

Time to think: Subjective sleep quality, trait anxiety and university start time.

“…Although these latter two studies (Fawzy and Hamed, 2017;Kalyani et al, 2017) included medical students only who may be exposed particular levels of emotional and physical stress, the results are consistent with other work indicating a link between sleep quality and anxiety.…”

“…In a sample of nearly 500 Lebanese students Choueiry et al, (2016) observed that nearly 30% of students presented with clinically significant anxiety and that anxiety was significantly associated with sleep quality (Choueiry et al, 2016). Two independent studies in medical students (Fawzy and Hamed, 2017;Kalyani et al, 2017) reported high prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety (70% and 40%, respectively) which correlated with sleep quality.…”

<p>Comparison of Depression Rate Between the First- and Final-Year Nursing Students in Kermanshah, Iran</p>

“…This result is consistent with the findings of Papazisis et al (2014) 26. However, the results of some studies indicate a high level of depression among female students 27,29,30. Since educational stressors affect both sexes equally, there is a possibility of depression in both sexes.…”

The Prevalence of Depression Among Nurses in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Depression screening for nurses should start from studying in nursing, so that susceptible individuals can be identified and the progress of the disease can be prevented. 30 Furthermore, the presence of mental health counselors in the nursing workplace plays a vital role in the prevention of depression. 28 The study results recommend adopting a combined approach that includes both clinical tests and depression measurement tools in future research.…”