Examination of Sleep Quality and ADHD Symptomatology on College Students' Academic Performance

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Chen, M. (2022). Examination of Sleep Quality and ADHD Symptomatology on College Students' Academic Performance. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

College students frequently struggle to obtain a sufficient amount and quality of sleep. National Sleep Foundation (NSF) guidelines recommend that young adults aged 18 to 25 obtain 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night – a goal that less than 50% of students meet. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is another growing area of interest, with prevalence rates estimated as high as 8%. Insufficient sleep and ADHD are independently associated with greater academic concerns and lower average GPAs. However, as poor sleep and ADHD are bidirectionally related, such that insufficient sleep is linked to increased ADHD symptoms and vice versa, these two factors may interact to create a compounding effect on academic performance. The current study sought to fill the gap in the literature regarding academic performance among college students by examining ADHD symptom subtypes and aspects of sleep quality as separate and combined predictors of students' GPA. Analyses revealed main effects of ADHD but not sleep on GPA. In addition, inattentive symptoms accounted for most of the variance observed in GPA. These results have implications for the importance of routine screening of college students for mental health disorders and sleep difficulties that significantly impact academic performance and student retention. Future research should include a wider range of factors known to affect academic performance, such as study skills and executive functioning.

Details
Author

Chen, Michelle

Title

Examination of Sleep Quality and ADHD Symptomatology on College Students' Academic Performance

Physical Description

1 online resource (65 pages) : PDF

Date

2022

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

College students frequently struggle to obtain a sufficient amount and quality of sleep. National Sleep Foundation (NSF) guidelines recommend that young adults aged 18 to 25 obtain 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night – a goal that less than 50% of students meet. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is another growing area of interest, with prevalence rates estimated as high as 8%. Insufficient sleep and ADHD are independently associated with greater academic concerns and lower average GPAs. However, as poor sleep and ADHD are bidirectionally related, such that insufficient sleep is linked to increased ADHD symptoms and vice versa, these two factors may interact to create a compounding effect on academic performance. The current study sought to fill the gap in the literature regarding academic performance among college students by examining ADHD symptom subtypes and aspects of sleep quality as separate and combined predictors of students' GPA. Analyses revealed main effects of ADHD but not sleep on GPA. In addition, inattentive symptoms accounted for most of the variance observed in GPA. These results have implications for the importance of routine screening of college students for mental health disorders and sleep difficulties that significantly impact academic performance and student retention. Future research should include a wider range of factors known to affect academic performance, such as study skills and executive functioning.

Genre

masters theses

Subjects--Topics

Medical sciences
Education, Higher
Psychology

Degree

M.A.

Keywords

Academic Performance
Adhd
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
College Students
Sleep
Sleep Quality

Subject Area

Health Psychology

Advisor(s)

Demakis, George

Committee Members

Gaultney, Jane
Jordan, LuAnn

Degree Note

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2022.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

Chen_uncc_0694N_13084

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:2871