Perceived Stress and Insomnia among University Students Living in Dormitories: A Correlational Study

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effect of dormitory life on perceived stress and insomnia severity among university students living in dormitories. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive-relationship-seeking type. The research population consists of 504 students living in state dormitories who accessed the survey via the Internet and volunteered to participate. Research data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, Perceived Stress Scale, and Insomnia Severity Index. The average age of the students is 21.21±1.83 (18-35). The Perceived Stress Scale total score average was 15.99±5.57, Insomnia Severity Index mean score was 13.17±5.74. There was a very weak negative significant relationship found between the students' sleep duration and the perceived stress sub-dimension (p=0.001, r-0.167) and total stress (p=0.003, r=-0.134) mean scores, a weak negative significant relationship between the average score of the insomnia severity index and the insomnia severity index (p=0,001, r=-0,254). There was a negative, very weakly significant relationship between students' sleep quality and perceived stress sub-dimension (p=0.001, r=-0.245), perceived coping sub-dimension (p=0.001, r=-0.272), total stress (p=0.001, r= -0.293) and insomnia severity index (p=0.001, r=-0.460) score averages were found to have a negative, weakly significant relationship. There was a weak positive relationship between insomnia severity index and perceived stress (p=0.0001, r=0.470), a very weak significant relationship was found between perceived coping (p=0.002, r=0.135) and a moderately significant relationship between total stress (p=0.0001, r=0.523). Environmental factors in the students' dormitory environment affected the average scores of perceived stress, total stress and insomnia severity index. It was determined that there was a moderate positive relationship between the insomnia severity index and the total perceived stress score.