Self-esteem related correlates of sleep quality in medical university students
E. L. Nikolaev, S. A. Yusupov, N. D. Kodirov, J. N. DaminovIntroduction
Researchers claim that the quality of sleep in medical students is subnormal, which may be due to a strenuous mental load they have while studying at university. How can such a highly stressful atmosphere influence a student’s self-esteem?
Objectives
Our objective was to find out the interrelations of the sleep quality and sleep disorders with self-rated personal traits, states and behavior.
Methods
When questioning 70 medical students of both gender aged 18-34, we used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. We determined the students’ personal traits, states and behavior with the help of a self-rated questionnaire (Nikolaev, 2023), which evaluated the intensity of personal attributes on a 10-point scale. For mathematical treatment, we used the methods of descriptive statistics and correlational analysis.
Results
The research revealed that two thirds of medical students (65.71%) experienced deterioration of their sleep quality. The mean score of the intensity of self-rated personal traits, states and behavior showed as follows: religious faith (8.79±1.90), happiness (8.34±2.18), confidence (8.07±2.27), successfulness (7.77±2.13), attractiveness (7.70±1.99), health (7.54±1.71), intelligence (6.99±2.15), well-being (6.86±2.61), physical fitness (5.56±2.49). PSQI global score in the surveyed students negatively correlates with their self-confidence (r=-.29; p<.05), happiness (r=-.25; p<.05), and health condition (r=-.24; p<.05). Sleep disturbance negatively correlates with confidence (r=-.30; p<.05) and attractiveness (r=-.28; p<.05). Poor sleep quality negatively correlates with the self-assessment of confidence (r=-.56; p<.05), happiness (r=-.37; p<.05), religious faith (r=-.29; p<.05), and frequency of physical activity (r=-.24; p<.05).
Conclusions
Sleep quality in medical students correlates most of all with such a personal trait as confidence. However, it has weaker connections with the students’ perception of happiness and health. As sleep disorders may bring about deterioration of a personality’s psychological well-being, the revealed self-esteem related correlates might become a target for psychotherapists when working with university students.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared