CHICAGO— Just as college students are heading back to campus, a study has found that freshmen who live with their parents score higher on a mental health test than do those who live elsewhere, at least in the early going. Researchers in Japan found that social interactions with fellow students likely disturb sleep/wake regularity in students immediately after entering college and that the importance of sleep/wake regularity for mental health increases as a student’s academic year progresses.

“The results of the correlation between mental health and social interactions were different from what we predicted,” reported lead investigator Kazuhiko Fukuda, PhD. “It turned out that the amount of social interaction had only minor effects on freshmen’s mental health, and in higher grade students, social interactions might have even a negative impact on their mental conditions.” Dr. Fukuda is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Fukushima University, in Fukushima, Japan. He and his colleague, Shoichi Asaoka, a graduate student at Waseda University, presented their findings at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

“There is a significant difference in mental hygiene between students who live with their parents and those who do not in the period just after entering the university,” Dr. Fukuda said. “It seems that especially immediately after entering a university, say one or two months, the effects of living with their parents are very significant. However, the difference between the two groups does not continue into the second year.”

Research has shown that both the awakening time and bedtime of university students are delayed with each successive year of school. Other studies have suggested that a disturbed sleep/wake pattern was related to decreases in mental functioning and that students’ mental health may be adversely affected by a delayed sleep pattern. “For university freshmen who leave their home and have begun to live alone, social interactions with peers may keep their mental health well, but at the same time, they may delay the bedtime of the freshmen,” noted Dr. Fukuda. Therefore, the researchers examined the effects of sleep/wake pattern and social interactions on the mental health of university students.

Study participants answered a questionnaire that consisted of demographic data, a sleep log (compiled from Saturday to Tuesday), an estimation of time spent alone per day, and the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30), which addresses mental health. Freshmen participated in the survey in May, July, and November (the Japanese academic year begins in April). The survey was also conducted in July with older students. A total of 256 students participated—53 freshmen in May, 53 freshmen in July, 76 freshmen in November; 74 students were sophomores or higher in July.

The researchers used multiple regression analysis to estimate the effect of the regularity of sleep-wake pattern, the amount of social interactions, and the type of residence on the total score of the GHQ-30. To estimate the amount of students’ social interaction, the researchers subtracted students’ alone time from their total time of wakefulness. What they found was that the type of residence had significant effects on the students’ mental health; the students living at home were in better mental condition in May, according to Dr. Fukuda. In May, the mean GHQ-30 total score of first-year students who did not live with their family was 9.7, compared with an average score of 7.5 to 8.0 for Japanese university students. In November, there was only a minor difference, and for students in their second or third year there was no difference at all, he said. “In July and after, the mean scores of the students in the two groups each come close to the average value as time progresses,” he noted. Also, regarding the data of students in higher grades, the regularity of sleep-wake pattern was significantly correlated with the total score of GHQ-30, he pointed out.

“It may be important for university personnel who are charged with students’ mental hygiene to give some social support to the students, especially immediately after their entrance to the university,” said Dr. Fukuda. “While the students are in their second year and higher, the regularity of the daily life is getting more important for their mental condition. The university personnel should pay attention to the students’ daily life regularity.”

—Colby Stong

Suggested Reading
Fukuda K, Ishihara K. Age-related changes of sleeping pattern during adolescence. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2001;55:231-232.
Wolfson AR, Carskadon MA. Sleep schedules and daytime functioning in adolescents. Child Dev. 1998;69:875-887.

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