Abstract
University students’ inability to get the recommended quality and quantity of sleep is associated with higher anxiety scores (p = .027), with worry as a top reason for disrupted sleep. Addressing sleep is critical in anxiety prevention and treatment.
Primary Author and Speaker: Valerie Buzzelli
Additional Authors and Speakers: Olivia Gonzales, Emerson Cole, Alexis Juergens
Contributing Authors: Barbra Katerberg
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in university students and is associated with sleep issues. Studies show that 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep per night lowers the risk for anxiety and depression in young adults. The purpose of this study is to explore university students’ anxiety levels and its relationship to the quality and quantity of sleep. Using a mixed-methods, exploratory design, 154 university students voluntarily and anonymously participated in data collection using a standardized assessment, The Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale for College Students, and an occupational therapy student-created Survey of College Students Occupations, which explored sleep quantity and concerns. Qualitative data on how anxiety impacts sleep was first individually themed and then discussed with group consensus on final themes. Quantitative data was analyzed through Google Sheets with statistical analysis through SPSS software. Qualitative and quantitative data were compared to interpret the final results. Results showed a statistically significant difference (p=.027) between the total anxiety levels of students who sleep greater than 7 hours (64%) (T score=53) to those that sleep less than 7 hours (36%)(T score =57). 63% of students have interrupted sleep 3 or more times per week. Worry accounts for 34% of the difficulty with sleeping, school concerns 9%, while 39% indicate anxiety symptoms have no impact on sleep. Conclusions are that students getting the recommended hours of sleep have normal anxiety levels and the inability to obtain the recommended quality and quantity of sleep is associated with elevated anxiety scores. Society has a current mental health crisis, with university students particularly vulnerable, at high risk and a large percentage not getting adequate sleep. The study results suggest a key factor in anxiety prevention and treatment is intervention from occupational therapists and educators to address sleep quantity and quality.
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