Study of Sleep Quality among Medical Students and Its Correlation with Psychiatric Comorbidities

Introduction: Sleep is a vital process for physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being, yet medical students face poor sleep quality due to their increased stress levels and demanding schedules.A significant prevalence of poor sleep quality has been revealed in studies, and is linked to depression and anxiety highlighting the need to address the critical issue.Materials and methods: Sleep quality was assessed among undergraduate medical students, who consented to participate in the study.Sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a self-reported scale.Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview version 5.0 was administered to assess for psychiatric morbidities among participants with poor sleep quality. Results:The study evaluated the quality of sleep and its relationship with psychiatric morbidities among 132 undergraduate medical students at a tertiary care hospital in India.Among those 72.7% reported to have poor sleep quality.Among the participants experiencing low-quality sleep, 12.5% were diagnosed with major depressive disorder and 2.1% with dysthymia.Generalized anxiety disorder was found in 5.2% of the students, while 6.3% had symptoms of adjustment disorder.Substance abuse was reported by 25% of the participants, with 15.6% diagnosed with alcohol use and 9.4% with other types of substance use disorders. Conclusion:Medical students are more likely to experience sleep problems due to their hectic schedules and demanding academic environment, which exacerbates mental health issues.Clinical significance: Improving clinical assessment, strengthening treatment plans, and directing preventive actions depend on understanding their correlation.Medical students' mental health, academic achievement, and overall quality of life may all be increased by early detection and treatment of sleep disturbances.