Causes of Depression in College Students - Coursework Example

Student’s Sleep

Introduction

College is considered to be one of the critical phases in a person's life as they learn lifelong skills and develop proper time and sleep management skills. Sleep disorders and disruptions have been found to be widespread among college students. Various studies have been conducted on the topic indicating that there are limited initiatives that address the problem that seems to be adversely affecting the students' performance and health. While there are different factors that affect the student's sleep, it is necessary to develop programs that empower students to manage their sleep patterns more efficiently through better education and a minimization of the distractions that affect sleep.

Lund, H. G., Reider, B. D., Whiting, A. B., & Prichard, J. R. (2010). Sleep patterns and predictors of disturbed sleep in a large population of college students. Journal of adolescent health, 46(2), 124-132.

The research article by Lund et al., 2010 looks into the forecasters of the poor quality of sleep and patterns of sleep in a college population. The study is built on the research that was done by the National Sleep Foundation examination in 2006 through analyzing sleep in older youths. The findings of the study are based on a research that was done on 1150 students between the ages of 17 and 24 years. The sample size was drawn from a modern Midwestern University and they completed a cross-sectional online survey. The survey evaluated their sleep behavior using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale, the Profile of Mood States, the Horne-Ostberg Morningness–Eveningness Scale, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Further, questions on their psychoactive drug use, physical health, and academic performance were posed.

The findings of the study revealed a lot about student's sleep. It was found that most students have disturbed sleep. The PSQI revealed the 60% are poor quality sleepers. The sleeping and waking up times were interrupted during the weekends. Notably, students indicated that they take recreational psychoactive, over the counter and prescription drugs to alter their sleep patterns. The students that were found to be poor quality sleepers and were reported to have more issues with their psychological and physical health while compared to the high-quality sleepers. Most of the subjects indicated the academic and emotional stress had adverse impacts on their sleep. The multiple regression evaluations showed the tension and stress contributed to 24% of the PSQI score variance while on the other hand, caffeine consumption, alcohol, and exercise were not key predictors of the quality of sleep. Inadequate and irregular sleep patterns are widely documented among college students and younger adults. Owing to the close link between mental health and quality of sleep, initiatives should be launched to address sleep disturbance which is the major recommendation provided in the study.

Pagnin, D., de Queiroz, V., Carvalho, Y. T. M. S., Dutra, A. S. S., Amaral, M. B., & Queiroz, T. T. (2014). The relation between burnout and sleep disorders in medical students. Academic Psychiatry, 38(4), 438-444.

The analysis offers an explanation of the mutual association between sleep disorders and burnout among students in medical school at the preclinical stage. The study is interesting as it offers an understanding of the experiences that the medical students go through. The method used is similar to that employed in the first article. The method used was the collection and analysis of data on one hundred and twenty-seven students that completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Hierarchical logistic regressions were used to test the reciprocal relationship between burnout and sleep disorders while controlling for anxiety and depression. The method that was used in the study improved the accuracy of the research. However, it can be noted that the sample size used was inadequate and making generalizations on the findings could be considered to be faulty.

The findings revealed that daytime sleepiness, poor sleep quality, and emotional exhaustion affected 63 %, 65% and 60% of the medical students respective. These numbers demonstrate the students' sleep behavior. It was determined that there is a close link between daytime sleepiness and emotional exhaustion. The study concluded that sleep disorders and burnout have a significant effect on medical students at the start of their studies. Daytime sleepiness and emotional exhaustion showed an interesting relationship. Daytime sleepiness associated with academic efficacy. The study fails to address the need to come up with intervention programs to help the students in better sleep management. The use of education programs teaching students to manage their sleep patterns better at the orientation stage can pave the way for them to apply proper sleeping management in the course of learning.

Levenson, J. C., Miller, E., Hafer, B. L., Reidell, M. F., Buysse, D. J., & Franzen, P. L. (2016). Pilot study of a sleep health promotion program for college students. Sleep health, 2(2), 167-174.

The sleep problems among college students can be managed using health promotion programs. Such programs should help the students in the management of sleep and this results in better health and academic performance. The article is based on a pilot study of a sleep health promotion initiative applied in the college context. It is valuable as it assesses the feasibility of the initiative and looks into the changes in sleep diary parameters and sleep knowledge. The study was done is a liberal arts university located in South Western Pennsylvania. A multifaceted approach was utilized in the research such as a group presentation on sleep and the use of an online questionnaire.

The students completed online sleep diaries and questionnaires before and after the application of the health promotion intervention. The study delved on the attitudes and knowledge of the participants on sleep. It was found that the participants had a significant improvement in their sleep patterns and experiences changes in their sleep schedules. A brief evaluation of the program suggests that it can be used to facilitate better sleep management among students. The program can be used to improve the students' knowledge on sleep as well as improving their behavior.

In the past, students' sleep in an issue that has not been given the attention that it deserves. This is evidenced by the lack of effective programs in the management of sleep among students. There are major positive steps that have been made in this study in launching a sleep management program and testing its efficiency. Health care practitioners and academicians are advised to come up effective programs that can be used in sleep management among students and this is focused on improving academic performance and health.

Demirci, K., Akgönül, M., & Akpinar, A. (2015). Relationship of smartphone use severity with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in university students. Journal of behavioral addictions, 4(2), 85-92.

The excessive use of smartphones among students has been found to alter sleep among university students. Asides from this, it contributes to related problems such as anxiety. The study used the approaches that were used in other articles to measure the quality of sleep among university students such as Beck Anxiety Inventory and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The participants included both the students that are addicted to smartphone and those that are not. It interesting to observe that female students were found to have a higher smart phone addiction levels than males. All in all, poor sleep is closely associated with smart phone overuse showing that the habit should be discouraged through encouraging the students to use their smart phones less.

Evidently, sleep disorders are prevalent among college students owing to a wide range of factors. Drug use, smart phones over use, exhaustion and poor sleep management have been found to be some of the predictors of poor sleep patterns among college students. As a result, colleges and experts in health care should work in cohesion to come up with programs that improve sleep management in the student population. The students should be encouraged to develop positive sleep behaviors through education and independent management of their sleep times.

Knight, V. (2017). Study links college students' grades to sleep schedules. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/12/health/student-sleep-grades-study/index.html

The online article shows that there is a close relationship between poor performance and distorted sleep behaviors. For instance, the students that stay up late to study for examinations perform more poorly than those that do not. There are clear differences between the students that are more organized in their studies and those that are not. The article is based on the findings of studies done by experts in the field such as Andrew Phillips who is a lead professor in Harvard Medical School and pointed out the poor relationship between irregular sleep patterns and the students’ grades.

Student’s name

English 110

Synthesis Chart

Lund, H. G., Reider, B. D., Whiting, A. B., & Prichard, J. R.

Journal of adolescent health,

Pagnin et al.

Academic Psychiatry

Levenson et al.

Sleep Health

Demirci, K., Akgönül, M., & Akpinar.

Journal of behavioral addictions

Knight. Study links college students' grades to sleep schedules.

Mental Health of

College students

The article underscores the importance of having a mental health program.

Depression is caused by poor sleep among college students.

The students’ mental health has not been discussed.

Addiction of cell phone use among students causes sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in university students.

Mental health issues are not discussed.

Effects on Physical

Well-Being From

Depression

The physical health of college students in relation to poor sleep is described.

Poor sleep is associated with burnout among college students.

The article discussed the sleep program.

The authors do not discuss the physical well-being.

The academic performance is the focus of the article.

Prevention

Strategies offered

By colleges

Intervention programs were suggested to eliminate the problem.

Schools can encourage students to manage their sleep times better.

Use of the sleep program.

Time management when it comes to smart phone use.

Sleep regularity.

Causes of

Depression in

College Students

Poor sleep patterns.

Depression is caused by emotional exhaustion due to poor sleep.

Depression has not been discussed.

Excessive smart phone use.

Not clearly discussed in the article.

Long term effects

on a student’s life-

Style

Emotional stress and poor physical health.

Poor academic performance and emotional exhaustion.

The long-term effects are not discussed.

Depression and anxiety.

Poor performance at school.

What Research

Says

A mental health program should be introduced to help students manage their sleep better.

There is a close link between sleep disorders and burnout.

The program that has been used to promote better sleep management is effective among college students.

Prolonged cell phone use affects students as it causes poor sleep, depression and anxiety.

Poor sleep contributes to dismal academic performance among college students.