The association of sleep patterns and depressive symptoms in medical students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective Mental health is a fundamental aspect in ensuring the stable and successful professional life of future physicians. Depressive symptoms can negatively affect the work-life-balance and efficiency at work of medical students. To date, there have been very few studies involving medical students that examine the association between single sleep characteristics and the outcome of the Beck Depression Inventory-II score. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate this possible association. A classroom survey using socio-demographic characteristics, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was conducted amongst students at a German medical school from December 2017 to September 2018. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Results Of the students surveyed, 19% showed depressive symptoms with a Beck Depression Inventory-II score over 13 and 42% of these cases were moderate or severe. The occurrence of relevant depressive symptoms was associated with lower sleep quality, higher sleep latency, and the consumption of sleeping pills. In general, female students and students from abroad had a higher risk of depressive symptoms. Addressing these relevant findings in medical school can increase awareness of mental health.

Association of depression symptoms and sleep quality with state-trait anxiety in medical university students in Anhui Province, China: a mediation analysis

“…Additionally, sleep disturbance is a risk factor for depression symptoms [18]. The occurrence of depression symptoms was related to lower sleep quality [11,19].…”

Self-Reported Mood and Lifestyle-Related Physical Activity of Young Adults With Major Depressive Disorder

“…In addition, replacing periods of daily sedentary behavior with more physical activity has been associated with lessened symptoms of depression and anxiety (Kandola et al, 2021). Similarly, past investigators have suggested that high sleep quality may prevent or decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression in young adults (Dinis & Bragança, 2018;Dudo et al, 2022).…”

“…However, an increasing search for economic and emotional independence among young adults has contributed to reduced participation in positive health behaviors among people in this age group (Kim et al, 2021). Unhealthy lifestyle factors are common in people with MDD, and they may include low levels of physical activity, a higher percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior, and poor sleep quality (Ahmed et al, 2020; Dudo et al, 2022; Mathew et al, 2011; Vancampfort et al, 2017). Yet, a healthy lifestyle is important for people with depression to support and maintain their mental and physical health (Sarris et al, 2020).…”

“…Although the relationship between physical and mental health is well established (Dudo et al, 2022; Kandola et al, 2019; Papasavvas et al, 2016; Schuch et al, 2016; Schuch & Vancampfort, 2021; Zotcheva et al, 2019), it is not known whether young adults diagnosed with varying degrees of MDD symptoms show variations in health-related outcomes according to their disease severity (Rice et al, 2022). Since patients and clinicians may differ in their ratings and perceptions of MDD severity (Feiten et al, 2021), the investigation of this relationship by self-report instruments of physical and mental health are important.…”

Health-Promoting Behavior and Lifestyle Characteristics of Students as a Function of Sex and Academic Level

“…Likewise, an Ethiopian study reported poor sleep quality in 56% of the student sample, with significantly higher odds for females, and lower odds for senior students (fourth semester) compared with third semester and sophomore students [ 32 ]. Indeed, poor sleep among college students including sex differences has been reported across the globe [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”