Sleep Quality in Patients With Schizophrenia in a Tertiary Care Center in Northern India.

Objective

To assess the quality of sleep among patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 100 outpatients with schizophrenia recruited from a tertiary care center in Northern India from July 2022 to December 2022. Eligible participants were required to complete a demographic form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The severity of psychosis was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Results

The mean age of the participants was 38.87 years (SD = 10.564). The prevalence of poor sleep quality (PSQI ≥ 5) among the patients with schizophrenia was 78%, and the mean PSQI score was 11.2 (SD = 5.31). Most of the participants in whom the prevalence of poor sleep quality was marginally higher were female (51%). Of the 7 PSQI components, daytime dysfunction was more affected (49%) compared to the other 6 components. There was a positive correlation between PSQI and ISI scores (r = 0.805, P < .001). PSQI (U = 380, P < .001) and ISI scores (U = 517, P < .001) were significantly lower in schizophrenia patients taking benzodiazepines. The PANSS scores were not significantly correlated with PSQI or ISI scores.

Conclusions

Most patients with schizophrenia suffered significantly from poor sleep quality. The results showed the deleterious impact of poor sleep on their daytime functioning, suggesting the need for comprehensive management of sleep problems in such patients. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2023;25(6):23m03564. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.