Citation

Farnill D, Robertson MF. Aust. Psychol. 1990; 25(2): 178-188.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Australian Psychological Society, Publisher Wiley-Blackwell)

DOI

10.1080/00050069008260010

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Two hundred and six first-year students aged between 18 and 21 years, from two Melbourne tertiary colleges, reported their sleep patterns and stressful life events associated with transition to tertiary studies. They completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) which assesses psychological symptoms. Eighty of these students were tested both at mid-year and again at the end of the academic year. These seasons were selected to represent relatively low and high periods of academic demand. Only minor differences were found associated with the time of year. No notable sex differences in sleep behaviour were found. Forty-two per cent of students repotted that they suffered frequent sleep disturbances such as difficulty in falling asleep and waking during the night. The report of sleep disturbance was strongly associated with stressful life experience and endorsement of the BSI psychological symptom scales. Self report on sleep disturbance may thus provide a ready identification of students who could profit from student-services interventions. Psychological symptoms were positively correlated with the experience of stressful events during the tertiary transition year and these results are discussed in the context of the current debate about life events and subjectively perceived stress.