B37-10 The Relationship Between School Exclusion, Loneliness, and Sleep Quality Among Adolescents: A Study Based on Interview Methods

Rationale School exclusion is a common issue in adolescents’ campus social interactions. By depriving individuals of their social needs and sense of belonging, it triggers negative emotions such as loneliness and self-suppression. Notably, negative psychological states—especially fatigue—have been proven to significantly affect sleep quality. Since adolescents’ sleep quality is directly linked to their mental health and academic performance, qualitative research is needed to explore the transmission path through which school exclusion impacts sleep quality, thereby providing a scientific basis for targeted interventions. Methods A depth interview approach combined with a purposive sampling strategy was adopted. With recommendations from teachers and peers, 15 adolescents with relevant experiences of school exclusion were selected from a school in Haidian District, Beijing. Based on the analysis of domestic and international literature and a preliminary survey on the current status of school exclusion (including teacher feedback and preliminary contact with students), a targeted interview outline was designed. The outline covered topics such as family environment, parent-child relationship, sense of school belonging, peer relationship, loneliness, depression, and sleep quality. Before formal interviews, participants signed an informed consent form. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in a one-on-one format, with audio recording or written documentation used according to participants’ preferences. Results All 15 participants acknowledged the impact of school exclusion and loneliness on sleep quality. Key findings are as follows: • Beyond academic pressure, peer relationships at school emerged as a critical non-academic factor affecting adolescents’ sleep quality, with most participants reporting sleep problems to varying degrees. • There was an interaction between family and school environments: adolescents in harsh family atmospheres with limited parent-child interaction were more vulnerable to the negative effects of school exclusion, while a warm and close family atmosphere and parent-child relationship helped mitigate these negative impacts. • School exclusion damaged peer relationships, which in turn triggered loneliness and depression among adolescents, ultimately affecting sleep quality. Specifically, the more school exclusion adolescents experienced, the more likely their sleep quality was to be impaired. Conclusions School exclusion affects adolescents’ sleep quality, and this impact is transmitted through mediating variables such as loneliness and depression. Family environment factors play a non-negligible role in shaping adolescents’ coping styles when facing school exclusion. Therefore, reducing school exclusion, alleviating loneliness, and improving family environment and parent-child relationships are effective approaches to enhance adolescents’ sleep quality, promote their mental health, and improve their academic performance. This abstract is funded by: None