Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41611930›Full record

ArticleDiscover mental health2026

Sleep quality, mental health, lifestyle factors, and academic performance among medical students in three Syrian Universities: a cross-sectional study.

Mouhammed Sleiay, Abdulrahman Ahmad Othman, Bilal Sleiay, Hasan Alsmoudi, Zeina Zakarya Marzouk, Sabrina Elias, Mirella Nakhle, Salem Almazroua, Merry Nakhleh, Shahd Awad Alali and 10 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Discover mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Mouhammed SleiayFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria. abdmouh1234mouhmouh@gmail.com.
Abdulrahman Ahmad OthmanMedizinische Fakultät der Universität des Saarlandes, Saarland, Germany.
Bilal SleiayFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.
Hasan AlsmoudiFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.
Zeina Zakarya MarzoukFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Sabrina EliasFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Mirella NakhleFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Salem AlmazrouaFaculty of Medicine, Al-Sham Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Merry NakhlehFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Shahd Awad AlaliFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Seba AlamawiFaculty of Medicine, Alkalamoon University, Rif-Dimashq, Syria.
Fatemah AlyyanFaculty of Medicine, Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syria.
Sajeda AeedFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Rim Al AssadFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Sara Salim SalehFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Tahani AhmedalabdalkhilatFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Bushra Ramdan AlkhalafFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Raghad Rabia AljalabFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Masa AhakimFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Rama KendakjiFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSleep quality significantly impacts cognitive function and mental health, yet medical students globally report high rates of sleep disturbances. This cross-sectional study investigates the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its associations with mental health and academic performance among medical students in three Syrian universities.

methodsAn online survey was administered to 722 medical students from Kalamoon University, Al Sham Private University, and Syrian Private University. Validated tools, including `assessed sleep quality and psychological distress. Academic performance was measured via self-reported GPA. After exclusions, 682 participants were analyzed using SPSS v27, with chi-square tests and regression models (α = 0.05).

resultsPoor sleep quality (PSQI ≥ 5) was prevalent in 83.3% of participants, with significant variations across universities (p = 0.011). Sleep quality correlated with academic year (p = 0.037), physical inactivity (p = 0.001), unhealthy diet (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.001), and low academic attendance (p = 0.001). Poor sleepers exhibited higher depression (p = 0.001), anxiety (p = 0.001), and stress (p = 0.001) scores. No direct association emerged between sleep quality and GPA (p = 0.8). Preparatory-year students (OR = 0.355, p = 0.009), those with severe depression (OR = 0.537, p = 0.023), and severe stress (OR = 0.493, p = 0.034) were likelier to be low academic achievers.

conclusionPoor sleep quality is alarmingly high among Syrian medical students and strongly linked to mental health challenges and modifiable lifestyle factors. Academic performance (GPA) showed no direct relationship with sleep quality, stress and depression .Targeted interventions promoting sleep hygiene, physical activity, and mental health support are urgently needed. Further longitudinal studies should explore causal pathways and cultural influences on sleep behaviors.

Indexed as

Academic performanceMedical studentsMental healthSleep qualitySyria

Identifiers

PMID41611930
PMCPMC12920859

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.