What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and interrelations of sleep disturbances and depression among medical students in Gujarat.

June 12, 2026Open Access

Exploring the Bidirectional Association between Sleep Disturbances and Depression among Medical Students in Gujarat

Key Points

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and interrelations of sleep disturbances and depression among medical students in Gujarat.
Cross-sectional survey conducted with 401 medical students at a tertiary care center and a government medical college in Gujarat.
Utilized Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for assessments.
Applied descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlations for data analysis.
48.6% of participants reported poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), mean PSQI = 5.86 ± 3.84.
75.3% of participants exhibited depressive symptoms, mean PHQ-9 = 5.55 ± 3.9; 18.7% presented with moderate-to-severe symptoms.
Strong positive correlation between PSQI and PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.832, p < 0.001).

Abstract

Background: Sleep disturbances and depression are highly prevalent among medical students, with bidirectional links exacerbating both conditions.This study investigates their prevalence, sociodemographic correlates, and interrelationships in an Indian medical college setting.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 401 medical students (undergraduates, interns, and postgraduates) at a tertiary care center and a government medical college in Gujarat using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, and substance use were collected via anonymous online forms.Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlations (Jamovi v2.5.3.0;α = 0.05).Results: Poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) affected 48.6% of participants (mean PSQI = 5.86 ± 3.84), while 75.3% reported depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥5; mean = 5.55 ± 3.9), including 18.7% moderate-to-severe.A strong positive correlation linked PSQI and PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.832, p < 0.001).Poor sleep was strongly associated with depression severity (Yates' χ 2 = 132.5,df = 6, p < 0.001), especially in latency (r = 0.57), daytime dysfunction (r = 0.57), and subjective quality (r = 0.59; all p < 0.001).Females had poorer sleep (mean PSQI = 6.6 ± 3.9 vs 5.4 ± 3.7 males; F = 9.5, p = 0.002), but gender-depression links were nonsignificant (χ 2 = 9.6, df = 5, p = 0.08).Comorbidities correlated with higher depression (χ 2 = 20.2,df = 5, p < 0.001), but not sleep quality (Yates' χ 2 = 3.1, df = 1, p = 0.07).No associations emerged with age or academic status.Conclusion: Sleep disturbances and depression are intertwined in this cohort, driven by academic stressors.Routine screening and interventions, like cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) integrated into curricula, could mitigate risks.Longitudinal studies are needed to establish causality.

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