Sleep Quality Among Psychiatry Residents

Objective: Medical residency programs are traditionally known for long working hours, which can be associated with a poor quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness. However, few studies have focused on this theme. Our objective was to investigate sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and their relation with anxiety, social phobia, and depressive symptoms. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study involved 59 psychiatry residents. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were used to measure the quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness ([EDS] and ESS > 10), respectively. Results: Among the 59 psychiatry residents, 59.3% had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) and 28.8% had EDS. Poor sleep quality was associated with higher EDS (P = 0.03) and the year of residency program (P = 0.03). Only 20% of residents with poor sleep had consulted at least once for sleep problems; 54.2% had used medications for sleep; and 16.9% were using medications at the time of interview. Only 30% obtained medication during medical consultations. Poor sleep was associated with irregular sleep hours (P = 0.001) and long periods lying down without sleep (P = 0.03). Poor sleep quality was also associated with high scores of anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001) and social phobia symptoms (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Psychiatry residents frequently have poor sleep quality and EDS. Considering that sleep disorders can affect quality of life, predispose to metabolic syndrome, and be associated with worse performance at work, attention to this clinical problem is needed. Objectif: Les programmes de residence en medecine sont reconnus traditionnellement pour leurs longues heures de travail, qui peuvent etre associees a une mauvaise qualite du sommeil et a une somnolence diurne. Toutefois, peu d'etudes se sont penchees sur ce theme. L'objectif de cette etude etait d'investiguer la qualite du sommeil, la somnolence diurne, et leur relation a l'anxiete, a la phobie sociale, et aux symptomes depressifs. Methodes: Cette etude transversale par observation comptait 59 residents en psychiatrie. Le Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) et l'Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) ont servi a mesurer la qualite du sommeil et la somnolence diurne excessive ([SDE] et ESS > 10), respectivement. Resultats: Parmi les 59 residents en psychiatrie, 59,3% avaient une mauvaise qualite du sommeil (MQS > 5) et 28,8% avaient une SDE. La mauvaise qualite du sommeil etait associee a une SDE plus elevee (P = 0,03) et au programme de l'annee de residence (P = 0,03). Parmi les residents qui dormaient mal, seulement 20% avaient consulte au moins une fois pour des problemes de sommeil; 54,2% avaient utilise des medicaments pour dormir; et 16,9% en utilisaient presentement. Seulement 30% ont obtenu des medicaments durant des consultations medicales. Le mauvais sommeil etait associe a des heures de sommeil irregulieres (P = 0,001) et a de longues periodes allonge sans dormir (P = 0,03). La mauvaise qualite du sommeil etait aussi associee a des scores eleves de symptomes d'anxiete (P < 0,001) et de symptomes de phobie sociale (P = 0,02). Conclusion: Les residents en psychiatrie ont frequemment une mauvaise qualite du sommeil et une somnolence diurne excessive. Considerant que les troubles du sommeil peuvent influer sur la qualite de vie, predisposer au syndrome metabolique, et etre associes a un moins bon rendement au travail, il faut porter attention a ce probleme clinique.