Developing a Predictive Model of Students’ Mental Health Based on Sleep Quality, Virtual Space Use, and Family Support
Keywords:
Students’ mental health, sleep quality, virtual space, family support, qualitative research, adolescentsAbstract
This study aimed to develop a qualitative predictive model of students’ mental health based on sleep quality, patterns of virtual space use, and perceived family support. This qualitative study was conducted using a thematic analysis design. The participants were 24 secondary school students from Tehran, selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation in gender, grade level, school type, and lived experiences related to sleep, virtual space use, and family support. Data were collected only through semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. After obtaining informed consent, the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and organized using NVivo software. Data analysis was conducted through open, axial, and selective coding, supported by constant comparison, peer review, and participant validation. The analysis yielded five main categories: “sleep quality and emotional-cognitive regulation,” “nighttime and problematic use of virtual space,” “family support and psychological safety at home,” “family conflict, ineffective monitoring, and academic pressure,” and “an interactive model for predicting mental health.” The findings indicated that poor sleep quality, prolonged and emotionally stimulating use of virtual space, and weak emotional support from family jointly contributed to anxiety, irritability, mental fatigue, reduced concentration, and loneliness among students. Conversely, regular sleep routines, conscious digital self-regulation, and warm, non-controlling family support functioned as protective factors for students’ mental health. The final model suggests that students’ mental health is not shaped by a single factor but by the dynamic interaction between sleep rhythms, digital experiences, and the quality of family relationships. Therefore, school-based interventions should simultaneously address sleep hygiene, digital literacy, emotion regulation, and family empowerment.
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