The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Depression among Undergraduate Students in Universities Across Malaysia

Lim, Joanne Kai En (2024) The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Depression among Undergraduate Students in Universities Across Malaysia. Sleep Quality and Depression. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between sleep quality and depression among undergraduate students in universities across Malaysia as well as gender differences in sleep quality. The online survey questionnaire developed using Google Forms was distributed to students currently enrolled in undergraduate programmes at universities throughout Malaysia via email and social media platforms. A total of 120 respondents were recruited using convenience sampling. The two questionnaires used in this current study were the Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Spearman's Rank-Order Correlation Coefficient (rs) was utilized to analyse the strength and direction of the linear relationship between sleep quality and depression. The results indicated a positive and strong correlation between sleep quality and depression, whereby rs(118) = .804; p < .001. Furthermore, a Mann-Whitney U test was employed to investigate the gender difference in sleep quality. The result showed that the sleep quality score of female respondents (Mean Rank = 67.73, n = 60) was significantly higher than that of the male respondents (Mean Rank = 52.51, n = 57), U = 1340.00, Z = -2.395 (corrected for ties), Asymp. Sig (2-tailed) = .017 < .05. This finding indicates a significant difference between male and female undergraduate students, whereby females experience poorer sleep quality than males. This finding indicates a significant difference between male and female undergraduate students, whereby females experience poorer sleep quality than males. The findings of this study indicate a necessity for proactive interventions to improve students' sleep quality and reduce the risk of depression. However, larger and more diverse samples are needed for generalization, along with consideration of mediation variables like academic stressors and social support.