Sleep Disturbances and Common Mental Disorders in College Students

Kia Byrd; Bizu Gelaye; Mahlet G Tadessea; Michelle A Williams; Seblewengel Lemma; Yemane Berhanec

doi:10.14485/HBPR.1.3.7

Sleep Disturbances and Common Mental Disorders in College Students

Health Behav Policy Rev. 2014 May 1;1(3):229-237. doi: 10.14485/HBPR.1.3.7.

Authors

Kia Byrd¹, Bizu Gelaye¹, Mahlet G Tadessea², Michelle A Williams¹, Seblewengel Lemma³, Yemane Berhanec³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Multidisciplinary Health International Research Training Program, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Department of Epidemiology, Multidisciplinary Health International Research Training Program, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
³ Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and examine the association of sleep disorders with presence of CMDs.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to ascertain demographic information and behavioral characteristics among 2,645 undergraduate students in Ethiopia. Standard questionnaires were used to assess CMDs, evening chronotype, sleep quality and daytime sleepiness.

Results: A total of 716 students (26.6%) were characterized as having CMDs. Female students had higher prevalence of CMDs (30.6%) compared to male students (25.4%). After adjusting for potential confounders, daytime sleepiness (OR=2.02; 95% CI 1.64-2.49) and poor sleep quality (OR=2.36; 95% CI 1.91-2.93) were associated with increased odds of CMDs.

Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of CMDs comorbid with sleep disorders among college students.

Keywords: Africa; Ethiopia; college; mental disorders; sleep.

Grants and funding

T37 MD001449/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States