Effects of COVID-19 2021 lockdown on the sleep quality and mental health of undergraduate medical and dental students of Pakistan: A cross-sectional study.

Sheikh, N. S.; Anwar, A.; Pervaiz, I.; Arshad, Z.; Khan, H. S.; Hafeez, F.

Background and objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized as a cause of direct and indirect psychological consequences that impact mental health such as acute stress disorders, anxiety, irritability, poor concentration, and insomnia. This study was planned to evaluate the sleep quality and mental health of undergraduate students amidst the COVID-19 lockdown of 2021. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where 261 undergraduate medical and dental students enrolled at a private medical and dental school were approached from March to May 2021. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to identify the sleep quality along with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) to establish anxiety symptoms and the Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression symptoms. Results: The results show that 212 (81.2%) female and 49 (18.8%) male students participated in the study. Of the participants 75.1% experienced poor sleep quality, 90% had symptoms of depression, and 85.4% had symptoms of anxiety. The mean score on the PSQI scale was 8.59+4.10, on the GAD-7 scale was 11.36+5.94 and on the PHQ-9 scale was 13.70+6.81. Multiple regression analysis showed that anxiety symptoms ({beta} = 0.315, p = 0.000) and depression symptoms ({beta} = 0.398, p = 0.000) were significant predictors of sleep quality amongst the undergraduate medical and dental students. Conclusion: A high majority of the study participants are experiencing poor sleep quality along with suffering from depression and anxiety amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. It is concluded from the analysis that anxiety and depression symptoms are significant predictors of sleep quality. Relevant authorities need to set up systems that help undergraduate medical students in alleviating and coping with these symptoms midst the COVID-19 pandemic.