scholarly journals Effects of medical school on mental health and sleep habits

Author(s):  
Blake McKinley ◽  
Bryan Daines ◽  
Mitchell Allen ◽  
Kayd Pulsipher ◽  
Isain Zapata ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVES: This study aims to define changes in anxiety and depression among medical students while evaluating the association of sleep habits and other risk factors, including exercise habits and a diagnosis of chronic disease. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was also evaluated. DESIGN: A cohort of first- and second-year medical students was evaluated longitudinally using survey methods to quantify changes from pre-medical school and summer break to each semester in medical school throughout years one and two. METHODS: Data was analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) on the numeric responses of General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Additional assessments evaluated exercise habits, chronic disease, and impact of COVID-19 Pandemic. RESULTS: Depression, anxiety, and sleep habits displayed a cyclical change that was associated with the academic cycle. The COVID-19 pandemic was never significant. Medical students who had a chronic disease diagnosis had increased severity. Exercise did not play a role. CONCLUSION: The main driver for depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality was the academic cycle, while the COVID-19 pandemic did not have an impact on mental health.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron Brick

The aim of the current study was to determine whether subjective sleep quality was reduced in medical students, and whether demographics and sleep hygiene behaviors were associated with sleep quality. A web-based survey was completed by 314 medical students, containing questions about demographics, sleep habits, exercise habits, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol use, and subjective sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). Correlation and regression analyses tested for associations among demographics, sleep hygiene behaviors, and sleep quality. As hypothesized, medical students’ sleep quality was significantly worse than a healthy adult normative sample (t=5.13, p<.001). Poor sleep quality in medical students was predicted by several demographic and sleep hygiene variables, and future research directions are proposed.Brick, C., Seely, D. L., & Palermo, T. M. (2010). Association between sleep hygiene and sleep quality in medical students. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 8(2), 113–121. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15402001003622925


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Eleftheriou ◽  
Aikaterini Rokou ◽  
Aikaterini Arvaniti ◽  
Evangelia Nena ◽  
Paschalis Steiropoulos

Background-Aim: Medical students have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to their educational program, which comprises theoretical knowledge and also clinical duties, making them vulnerable to viral exposures and possibly affecting their everyday life. The aim of this study was to explore changes in sleep and mental health parameters among medical students in Greece during the second year of the pandemic.Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised students of all medical schools in Greece (n = 7), using an anonymous online survey. Participants completed the following questionnaires: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Statistical analysis was conducted with the use of SPSS v.26 (IBM SPSS, Armonk NY, USA).Results: Out of the 562 received responses, 559 met the inclusion criteria. The largest proportion of the respondents came from 4th-year (27.8%) and the majority of the sample were females (69.8%). Only 5.9% of the participants reported having been infected by SARS-COV-2. Most of the respondents experienced insomnia (65.9%, mean AIS score: 7.59 ± 4.24), poor sleep quality (52.4%, mean PSQI score: 6.6 ± 3.25) and increased fatigue (48.5%, mean 35.82 ± 11.74). Moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety (mean 9.04 ± 5.66) and depression (mean 9.36 ± 6.15) were noted. Suicidal ideation was found in 16.7% of the sample, while use of sleeping pills in the previous month was reported by 8.8% (n = 47). Further analysis revealed independent associations between sleep and mental health parameters. Higher AIS score was associated with greater FSS score; higher PSQI scores with higher GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores. Additionally, female students were found to be significantly more affected than males by the COVID-19 pandemic, displaying higher levels of insomnia, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. In addition, those with a history of COVID-19 infection or in close proximity with a positive case reported significantly more significant post-traumatic symptoms in IES-COVID-19 questionnaire.Conclusions: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevalence of sleep and mental health disorders among Greek medical students is significant, highlighting the need for better surveillance of students' wellbeing and subsequent counseling, with special focus on female students and other affected groups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Said AH ◽  
Yusof MZ ◽  
Mohd FN ◽  
Azmi MANH ◽  
Mohd Hanapiah H ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: Poor sleep quality is a common problem experienced by medical students worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the prevalence of poor sleep quality among medical students in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and its association with mental health and other factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted among 500 medical students in IIUM Kuantan. A validated self-reported questionnaire including sociodemographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Depression Anxiety Stress Score 21 was distributed from 15th July to 31st August 2019. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the prevalence of poor sleep quality. Chi- square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent sample T-test, and multiple logistic regression were used to measure the association between risk factors and sleep quality. RESULT: The response rate was 91.2%. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 59.6%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed level of study (clinical year (AOR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.29 - 0.66) and depression (yes (AOR: 1.71, 95% CI 1.03-2.83) contributed independently on poor sleep quality among medical students. There was no significant relationship between tahajjud practice and poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: More than half of IIUM medical students have poor sleep quality. Those students who were in the pre-clinical year and had depression were independently associated with the occurrence of poor sleep quality. Early intervention is compulsory to overcome this problem among medical students in IIUM.  


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Franceschini ◽  
Alessandro Musetti ◽  
Corrado Zenesini ◽  
Laura Palagini ◽  
Annalisa Pelosi ◽  
...  

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously affected all Italy. The extreme virulence, the speed of propagation resulted in restrictions and home confinement. This change was immediately perceived by people who found themselves exposed to feelings of uncertainty, fear, anger, stress and a drastic change in the diurnal but above all nocturnal lifestyle. For these reasons, we aimed to study the quality of sleep and its connection to distress levels and evaluate how lifestyle changed in the Italian population during the lockdown.MethodsThrough an internet survey we recruited 6,519 adults during the whole COVID-19 lockdown (from 10thMarch – 1st phase - to 4th May – 2nd phase). We investigated the socio-demographic and COVID-19 related information and assessed sleep quality using the Medical Outcomes Study - sleep scale (MOS-SS) and mental health with the short form of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales – 21 Items (DASS-21). Multiple logistic regression model was used to evaluate the multivariate association between the dependent variable (good sleeper vs. poor sleeper) and all the variables that were significant in the univariate analysis.Results3,562 (55.32%) participants reported poor sleep quality according to the MOS-Sleep Index II score. The multiple binary logistic regression results of poor sleepers reveal several risk factors during the outbreak restrictions: female gender, living in Central Italy, having someone close who died due to COVID-19, markedly changed sleep-wake rhythm characterized by earlier or postponed habitual bedtime, earlier habitual awakening time and reduced number of afternoon naps, extremely severe levels of stress, of anxiety, and of depression. ConclusionsThis is the first study designed to understand sleep quality and sleep habits during the whole lockdown in the Italian population that provides more than 6,000 participants in a survey developed specifically for the health emergency related to COVID-19. Our study found that more than half of the Italian population have had impaired sleep quality and sleep habits elevated psychological distress during the COVID-19 lockdown containment measures. A multidisciplinary action should be taken in order to plan appropriate responses to the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 health emergency.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonios Nteveros ◽  
Marios Kyprianou ◽  
Artemios Artemiadis ◽  
Antrianthi Charalampous ◽  
Kallistheni Christoforaki ◽  
...  

Objectives The primary aim was to estimate the burnout prevalence among all medical students at the Medical School of the University of Cyprus. Secondary aims were to ascertain the predictors of burnout and its relationship with lifestyle habits, sleep quality and mental health. Background Burnout in the healthcare sector has drawn significant scientific attention over the last few years. Recent research underscored the large burden of profession-related burnout among medical students. Materials and methods An anonymous questionnaire was administered to all 189 eligible candidates. This included demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Sleep quality was assessed via the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, mental health was assessed via the mental health (MH) domain of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS). Results Overall response rate was 96.3%. The burnout prevalence was 18.1%. There was a significant linear effect of between the year of studies and the burnout frequency [F(1) = 5.09, p = 0.024], implying that with increasing academic year there were more students with burnout, especially after the 4th year of education which signifies the beginning of clinical education. Students with burnout were more likely to have poor sleep quality (90.9% vs. 60.8%, odds ratio 4.33, p = 0.023) and worse mental health (MH score 40.2 ± 17.7 vs 62.9 ± 20.3, p<0.001). Alcohol consumers had more symptoms of cynicism and less feelings of efficacy than non-alcohol consumers. Moreover, less feelings of efficacy were significantly associated with more alcohol consumption among alcohol consumers. Conclusions Burnout is prevalent in medical students and increases significantly during the clinical years. Students with burnout have worse sleep and mental health and might use alcohol as a coping mechanism. Implementing prevention strategies of burnout may be beneficial.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Murhaf Al-Khani ◽  
Muhammad Ishaque Sarhandi ◽  
Mohamed Saddik Zaghloul ◽  
Mohammed Ewid ◽  
Nazmus Saquib

Abstract Objective Adequate sleep is integral to better mental health and facilitates students’ learning. We aimed to assess sleep quality among medical students and to see whether it was associated with their mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress) and academic performance. Results A total of 206 responded, and 95 of them had complete data on demography, lifestyle, academic performance, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and mental health (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales). The prevalence of poor sleep was 63.2%; it was higher among students who were physically inactive and had more screen time. Poor sleepers demonstrated higher academic performance than sufficient sleepers (p = 0.04). The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress were 42%, 53%, and 31% respectively. Sleep quality was significantly associated with depression (p = 0. 03), anxiety (p = 0.007), and stress (p = 0.01).


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S594-S594
Author(s):  
I. Gassara ◽  
R. Ennaoui ◽  
N. Halwani ◽  
M. Turki ◽  
J. Aloulou ◽  
...  

IntroductionCollege students seem to be a population group that is increasingly recognized to be at risk of having sleep difficulties. Some studies revealed that medical students, in particular, are believed to be more stressed and sleep deprived than their non-medical peers.AimThe present work aimed at investigating the quality of sleep among medical students at the University College of Medicine in Sfax, Tunisia.MethodsThe study consisted of an anonymous, voluntary survey for a sample of 74 students. A two-part questionnaire was used, including demographic criteria and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-rated instrument that measures sleep habits for a month (a total score of 5 or greater is indicative of poor sleep quality).ResultsThe average age was 24 years (range 19–33) with a sex ratio almost equal to 1. In 47.3% of cases, students were married. These latter had at least one child in 34.2% of cases. A total of 39.4% of the students reported being smokers, while 25.6% of them admitted having regular alcohol consumption.Poor sleep quality was reported by 63.5% of students with a PSQI average score of 9.32 ± 3.64.The most correlated factors with poor sleep quality were parenthood (P = 0.031), alcohol consumption (P = 0.004) and stressful studies (P = 0.02).ConclusionPoor sleep quality was pervasive among surveyed medical students and this seemed to be in relationship with some factors. This study points to the need for further evaluation of medical students’ sleep problems in order to improve their performance and their quality of life as well.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-220
Author(s):  
Ahmed Waqas ◽  
Aqsa Iftikhar ◽  
Zahra Malik ◽  
Kapil Kiran Aedma ◽  
Hafsa Meraj ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesThis study has been designed to elucidate the prevalence of stress, depression and poor sleep among medical students in a Pakistani medical school. There is a paucity of data on social support among medical students in Pakistan; an important predictor of depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study was also aimed to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of social support in alleviating depressive symptoms in the study sample.MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where a total of 400 students at a medical school were approached between 1st January to 31st March 2018 to participate in the study. The study sample comprised of medical and dental students enrolled at a privately financed Pakistani medical and dental school. The participants responded to a self-administered survey comprising of five parts: a) demographics, b) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), c) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), d) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and e) Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). All data were analysed using SPSS v. 20. Linear regression analysis was used to reveal the predictors of depression.ResultsIn total, 353 medical students participated, yielding a response rate of 88.25%. Overall, poor sleep quality was experienced by 205 (58.1%) students. Mild to severe depression was reported by 83% of the respondents: mild depression by 104 (29.5%), moderate depression by 104 (29.5%), moderately severe depression by 54 (15.3%) and severe depression by 31 (8.8%) respondents. Subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, daytime dysfunction and stress levels were significantly associated with depression symptoms. Social support was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the regression model (Beta = -0.08, P < 0.09); however, it acted as a significant mediator, reducing the strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep quality and stress.ConclusionsAccording to our study, a large proportion of healthcare (medical and dental) students were found to be suffering from mild to moderate depression and experienced poor sleep quality. It is concluded that social support is an important variable in predicting depressive symptomatology by ameliorating the effects of poor sleep quality and high stress levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Ching Chang ◽  
Megan C. Chang ◽  
Yun-Jou Chang ◽  
Ming-De Chen

Abstract Background Sleep disruption is pervasive in people with schizophrenia, but few studies have explored their sleep experiences. This study aims to identify factors relevant to sleep problems and explore coping methods used by community-dwelling people with schizophrenia. Methods Eighteen participants with schizophrenia were recruited from three mental health centers in Taiwan. They completed a semi-structured interview and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assessment. The Person-Environment-Occupation model offered a framework to assess factors related to sleep. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis. Results Factors related to sleep were classified under person, environment, and occupation domains. The person domain included three subthemes: psychiatric symptoms, unpleasant emotions, and frustration about sleep. The environment domain included three subthemes: sensory intrusions from the environment, quality of bedding, and roommates. The occupation domain included sleep interruption and sleep preparation. There were notable discrepancies in sleep quality between the participants’ narratives and their PSQI global scores. Regarding coping methods for poor sleep, sleep medication was the primary strategy while some participants also used other strategies, such as modifying the environment, adjusting routines, or engaging in activities that improve sleep quality. Conclusions Psychiatric symptoms and nightmares were identified as unique sleep disruptions in people with schizophrenia, and poor economic status was also found to impact their sleep. The sleep quality of people with schizophrenia tends to be poor, as identified by the PSQI, even though they may have positive perceptions of their sleep quality. Our participants appeared to prefer to take hypnotics to address their sleep problems, which may be due to limited knowledge about alternatives. Mental health professionals are encouraged to receive training in the application of non-pharmacological approaches to support their clients’ issues related to sleep.


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