Associations between Mental Health, Academic Performance, and Sleep Quality in Physical Therapy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Sleep quality significantly impacts both mental and physical health and is a critical factor in academic performance among young adults. Emerging evidence suggests a complex interaction between sleep patterns, mental health status, and educational outcomes in this demographic. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the correlations between sleep disturbance, academic performance, and mental health within a population of young adults. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 236 participants from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, during the Spring semester of 2019. Data were collected via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), with academic performance measured by GPA. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient in SPSS version 25. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between depression and GPA (r = -0.139; p = 0.033*), while stress and academic performance showed a positive but non-significant correlation. Sleep quality correlated positively with both depression (r = 0.183; p = 0.005**) and anxiety (r = 0.147; p = 0.024*). However, no significant correlation was found between sleep patterns and any of the mental health variables. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a clear negative impact of depression on academic achievement in young adults and suggest that poor sleep quality may be associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. These results emphasize the importance of addressing sleep and mental health issues to improve academic outcomes.