CLARE WATSON
21 DECEMBER 2020
Get your eight hours of sleep each night. That s the usual message, because with enough sleep comes a whole host of health benefits.
But sleep quality may actually be the most important factor predicting good mental health, more so than hours slept, physical activity, and diet, according to a new study of young adults from researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Disrupted sleep has been linked to poor mental health before, including depression and other mood disorders. Eating a well-rounded diet has also been shown to help prevent depression, and even short bouts of exercise can boost your mental and physical health.
However, some students did not complete their internships and falsified assessment material, so they could go travelling. Professor Barry Taylor, who was dean of the Otago Medical School at the time, said some students “exhibited very poor judgement” in taking “significant” time away from their placements “to travel and holiday and then not accurately reflecting this in their elective reports”.
Hamish McNeilly/Stuff
Professor Barry Taylor was dean of the Otago Medical School when the investigation was announced in November 2019. An internal inquiry was carried out and in November last year, 53 students – 21.5 per cent of the year group – had their qualifications withheld.