Scholarlink

Background <p>Insomnia is common among university students, with many using sleep aids without medical advice. Limited data exist on the factors influencing this use and its link to mental health in Saudi Arabia.</p> Objectives <p>To evaluate the prevalence and determinants of sleeping pill use among university students and its association with insomnia, anxiety, and depression.</p> Methods <p>This cross-sectional study collected 842 responses between April 2024 and March 2025 using an online questionnaire. After excluding incomplete or ineligible responses, 782 students were included in the final analysis. The survey incorporated the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).</p> Results <p>Among the 782 participants, 34.1% reported current use of sleeping pills, with Panadol Night (50.5%), antihistamines (26.8%), and melatonin (19.9%) being the most used. Predictors of sleeping pill use included lower family income (OR = 0.57, <i>p</i> = 0.011), prior diagnosis of sleep disorders (OR = 4.31, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), and concurrent medication use (OR = 2.67, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Although higher levels of insomnia, depression, and anxiety were observed among participants, these mental health variables were not independently associated with sleeping pill use in adjusted regression models.</p> Conclusion <p>Sleeping pill use is prevalent among Saudi university students and is primarily influenced by sociodemographic and clinical factors rather than mental health symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of raising awareness about non-pharmacological sleep strategies and implementing targeted mental health and sleep education programs at universities settings.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Use of sleeping pills, their determinants, and associations with mental health among Saudi university students

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月16日

查看全文
  • Deemah Alateeq,
  • Raghad Alshehri,
  • Raghd AlSuhaibani,
  • Dimah Almazyad,
  • Afnan Alawadh,
  • Reem Alsarhan,
  • Leena Alqahtani,
  • Asma Alshammari,
  • Fatimah AlRashed

摘要

Background

Insomnia is common among university students, with many using sleep aids without medical advice. Limited data exist on the factors influencing this use and its link to mental health in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence and determinants of sleeping pill use among university students and its association with insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

Methods

This cross-sectional study collected 842 responses between April 2024 and March 2025 using an online questionnaire. After excluding incomplete or ineligible responses, 782 students were included in the final analysis. The survey incorporated the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).

Results

Among the 782 participants, 34.1% reported current use of sleeping pills, with Panadol Night (50.5%), antihistamines (26.8%), and melatonin (19.9%) being the most used. Predictors of sleeping pill use included lower family income (OR = 0.57, p = 0.011), prior diagnosis of sleep disorders (OR = 4.31, p < 0.001), and concurrent medication use (OR = 2.67, p < 0.001). Although higher levels of insomnia, depression, and anxiety were observed among participants, these mental health variables were not independently associated with sleeping pill use in adjusted regression models.

Conclusion

Sleeping pill use is prevalent among Saudi university students and is primarily influenced by sociodemographic and clinical factors rather than mental health symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of raising awareness about non-pharmacological sleep strategies and implementing targeted mental health and sleep education programs at universities settings.