Aims and background:The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced widespread disruptions, including significant psychological impacts such as insomnia in acute and chronic phases, particularly among undergraduate (UG) medical students.These students, already under considerable academic stress, faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at a medical college in Gujarat, over 18 months.A total of 72 UG medical students out of a total 750 students were found to be eligible to participate, out of those who gave informed consent, completing semi-structured questionnaire, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the SF-36 Health Survey, and as per exclusion criteria.Results: A total of 72 students reported post-COVID-19 infection new onset of insomnia.Insomnia severity was categorized as follows in participants: subthreshold insomnia (73.6%), moderate insomnia (25%), and severe insomnia (1.4%).Severe insomnia was significantly linked to poorer outcomes in physical role functioning, energy/fatigue, social functioning, pain, and general health (p < 0.05).Specifically, participants with severe insomnia reported the lowest scores in these domains compared to those with subthreshold and moderate insomnia.Conclusion: Post-COVID-19 new onset insomnia significantly impacts quality of life among UG medical students, particularly affecting role functioning (physical), energy levels, social interactions, pain perception, and general health.Clinical significance: These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to mitigate insomnia's effects on students' well-being and academic performance in the post-pandemic era.
Bhuva et al. (Wed,) studied this question.