The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Social Intimacy, and Academic Burn-Out in Students of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Introduction: Academic burnout leads to creation of a series of negative and scattered thoughts, loss of hope and emotional and physical exhaustion in carrying out activities. Two factors that affect academic burnout are sleep quality and social intimacy. This study was conducted in order to investigate the relationship between sleep quality and social intimacy, and academic burn-out in the students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Materials & methods: This study was descriptive and correlational. The population of this study consisted of the students in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and 196 medical students were selected. They completed Berso et al. Academic Burnout Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS). The validity of the questionnaires confirmed by experts' views. Their reliability were obtained as 77%, 64% and 85% for academic burnout, sleep quality and social intimacy questionnaires respectively by calculating the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation test, Regression, cluster analysis and t-test were used.

Results: The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between sleep quality and academic burnout at the level p<0.05 (r=0.38). There was a negative and significant relationship between social intimacy and academic burnout at the level p<0.05 (r= -0.40). Also, the regression results showed that sleep quality and social intimacy were able to predict 37% and 39% of academic burnout respectively. Moreover, the students were divided into two clusters of individuals with high social intimacy and individuals with low social intimacy. No significant difference was found between the two types in terms of the variable of academic burn-out.

Conclusion: Based on the research results, it can be stated that the variables of sleep quality and social intimacy are the predictor factors of academic burn-out.