Student Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Between Sleep-Related Variables and Psychosocial Outcomes in University Students

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, academic stress, and well-being in Italian university students, aiming to develop a psychosocial model, mediated by student self-efficacy, that explains these relationships. Participants (N = 252; 72% women, M age = 22) completed a self-report questionnaire that included socio-demographic data and validated scales for academic stress, well-being, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and student self-efficacy. Using the SPSS PROCESS macro, mediation analyses were carried out to examine whether student self-efficacy mediates the relationships between sleep quality and daytime sleepiness as predictors, and well-being and academic stress as outcomes. The results showed that poorer sleep quality and greater daytime sleepiness are associated with lower student self-efficacy. This decrease was, in turn, associated with reduced well-being and increased academic stress. In both models, student self-efficacy mediated the effect of sleep quality and daytime sleepiness on the considered outcomes. These relations echo patterns observed in Western, Asian, and Middle Eastern contexts, underscoring the international relevance of the relationships analyzed. Without assuming causal links, this transnational convergence suggests the model’s potential applicability across different cultural contexts and highlights the need for verification through longitudinal and cross-cultural studies. The study contributes to the literature by expanding the understanding of sleep-related variables as antecedents rather than outcomes, a perspective less explored, especially within the Italian context. Findings highlight the importance of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and student self-efficacy in the psychosocial experiences of students and suggest that addressing these dimensions preventively could improve their overall functioning.