Assessment of Insomnia Symptoms, Quality of Life, Daytime Sleepiness, and Psychoactive Substance Use among Polish Students: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey for Years 2016–2021 before and during COVID-19 Pandemic

Association between prolonged stress caused by COVID-19 pandemic and earthquakes and quality of life, anxiety, depression, psychoactive substances, and problematic alcohol use in adult Croatian population

Background

The prolonged stress experience caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and two earthquakes led to increased alcohol and psychoactive substance use (PSU) accompanied by a decrease in mental wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) in the Croatian population. Our aim was to determine the relationship between alcohol and PSU and mental health outcomes including anxiety and depression, and QoL.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey conducted from September 30 to October 27, 2021, included 1,118 Croatian adults (220 men and 898 women; mean age, 35.1 ± 12.3 years) recruited through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The survey consisted of a self-reported questionnaire on PSU, the CAGE Alcohol Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL)-BREF. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the association between PSU, problematic alcohol use (PAU), mental health outcomes, and QoL.

Results

The model demonstrated a good fit and indicated that PSU increase, PAU, and anxiety and depression symptoms significantly explained all QoL domains (p < 0.001 for all). Both PSU increase and PAU during prolonged stress were directly associated with decreased QoL. These relationships were also indirectly mediated through increased anxiety and depression symptoms.

Conclusion

These results showed the need to direct public health interventions and treatment interventions during and after long-term stress (pandemics and earthquakes) to reduce the negative impact on substance use and QoL by reducing depression and anxiety, which ultimately may contribute to better wellbeing and rapid recovery of individuals affected by prolonged stress.

The Complex Association between Sleep Quality, Psychological Wellbeing, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood

During child development, the psychophysiological state is influenced by factors such as family routine, school experiences, stressful life events, or, in general, the environmental context in which the child grows up [...].

Prevalence and factors associated with insomnia among medical students in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: characterization and associated factors

BACKGROUND

Insomnia has become an important issue in recent years. Insomnia is affected by many factors. Previous research has shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there would be a long-term negative effect on the mental health of medical college students. The state of medical college students' insomnia directly determines the results of medical education and the career development prospects of the medical students themselves. Therefore, it is very important to understand the insomnia situation of medical students in the post-epidemic era.

METHODS

This study was conducted 2 years after the global COVID-19 pandemic (April 1-April 23, 2022). The study used an online questionnaire, administered through a web-based survey platform. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), GAD-2, PHQ-2, and socio-demographic information were surveyed by the Questionnaire Star platform.

RESULTS

The prevalence of insomnia was 27.80% (636/2289). Grade(P < 0.05), age(P < 0.001), loneliness(P < 0.001), depression(P < 0.001), anxiety(P < 0.001), fear of COVID-19 was highly correlated with insomnia (P < 0.001). Adapting to online class(P < 0.001) was a protective factor of smartphone addiction.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey shows that Insomnia was highly prevalent among the Chinese medical college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments and schools should through psychological interventions to address the current situation of insomnia among medical students, and formulate targeted programs and strategies to reduce their psychological problems.

Anxiety and functional impairment affects undergraduate psychology students' learning in remote emergency teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to explore the impact of anxiety and functional impairment measures on a sample of undergraduate psychology students. Learning performance was evaluated during the emergency remote teaching during the first wave and in the post-vaccination period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Data modeling revealed that psychometric indicators of severe anxiety and severe functional impairment predicted students with lower learning performance in pairs of pre- and post-test multiple-choice questions. This is the first study to highlight the association between measures of generalized anxiety and functional impairment having a deleterious impact on students' learning performance. This manuscript highlights that educational policies should be designed to deal with students' mental health under stressful situations.

Insomnia, Daytime Sleepiness, and Quality of Life among 20,139 College Students in 60 Countries around the World-A 2016-2021 Study

Background: Sleep disorders are a widespread phenomenon, and the number of individuals suffering from them is increasing every year, especially among young adults. Currently, the literature lacks studies that cover both countries with different levels of development and a period before the announcement of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to globally assess the prevalence of insomnia and daytime sleepiness among students and assess their quality of life. Methods: For this purpose, our own questionnaire was distributed online via Facebook.com. In addition to the questions that assessed socioeconomic status, the survey included psychometric tools, such as the Athens insomnia scale (AIS), the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and the Manchester short assessment of the quality of life (MANSA). The survey distribution period covered 31 January 2016 to 30 April 2021. Results: The survey involved 20,139 students from 60 countries around the world. The vast majority of the students were women (78.2%) and also those residing in countries with very high levels of development and/or high GDP (gross domestic product) per capita at 90.4% and 87.9%, respectively. More than half (50.6%) of the respondents (10,187) took the survey before the COVID-19 pandemic was announced. In the group analyzed, 11,597 (57.6%) students obtained a score indicative of insomnia and 5442 (27.0%) a score indicative of daytime sleepiness. Women, low-income residents, and nonmedical students were significantly more likely to have scores indicating the presence of insomnia. Individuals experiencing both sleepiness (B = −3.142; p < 0.001) and daytime sleepiness (B = −1.331; p < 0.001) rated their quality of life significantly lower. Conclusions: Insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness are common conditions among students worldwide and are closely related. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered students’ diurnal rhythms, which contributed to an increase in insomnia. Students in countries with a high GDP per capita index are significantly less likely to develop insomnia compared to the residents of countries with a low GDP per capita index. Sleep disorders definitely reduce the quality of life of students.

Prevalence of insomnia and its association with quality of life among Macau residents shortly after the summer 2022 COVID-19 outbreak: A network analysis perspective

BACKGROUND

The latest wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Macau began on 18 June 2022 and was more serious than previous waves. Ensuing disruption from the wave is likely to have had a variety of negative mental health consequences for Macau residents including increased risk for insomnia. This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of insomnia among Macau residents during this wave as well as its association with quality of life (QoL) from a network analysis perspective.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between 26 July and 9 September 2022. Univariate and multivariate analyses explored correlates of insomnia. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) examined the relationship between insomnia and QoL. Network analysis assessed the structure of insomnia including "Expected influence" to identify central symptoms in the network, and the flow function to identify specific symptoms that were directly associated with QoL. Network stability was examined using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure.

RESULTS

A total of 1,008 Macau residents were included in this study. The overall prevalence of insomnia was 49.0% (n = 494; 95% CI = 45.9-52.1%). A binary logistic regression analysis indicated people with insomnia were more likely to report depression (OR = 1.237; P < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.119; P < 0.001), as well as being quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 1.172; P = 0.034). An ANCOVA found people with insomnia had lower QoL (F_(1,1,008) = 17.45, P < 0.001). "Sleep maintenance" (ISI2), "Distress caused by the sleep difficulties" (ISI7) and "Interference with daytime functioning" (ISI5) were the most central symptoms in the insomnia network model, while "Sleep dissatisfaction" (ISI4), "Interference with daytime functioning" (ISI5), and "Distress caused by the sleep difficulties" (ISI7) had the strongest negative associations with QoL.

CONCLUSION

The high prevalence of insomnia among Macau residents during the COVID-19 pandemic warrants attention. Being quarantined during the pandemic and having psychiatric problems were correlates of insomnia. Future research should target central symptoms and symptoms linked to QoL observed in our network models to improve insomnia and QoL.

The Effects of Anthropomorphism, Message Framing, and Voice Type on Unhealthy Sleep Behavior in Young Users: The Mediating Role of Risk Perception

Insufficient sleep is a severe social public health problem that can adversely affect the physical and mental health of young people. This study examined risk perceptions for unhealthy sleep behaviors and intentions for healthy sleep behaviors under different combinations of anthropomorphism, message framing, and voice type in cartoons. We used a three-factor between-subject experiment of two (anthropomorphism: anthropomorphic vs. non-anthropomorphic) × two (message framing: positive frame vs. negative frame) × two (voice type: cartoon child voice vs. adult female voice) design. We examined the effects of different audiovisual combinations of cartoon attitude, risk perception, and behavioral intention and the mediating role of risk perception. The research results show that (1) the integration of anthropomorphic design elements can positively impact users’ attitudes toward cartoons; (2) when the interface information is presented in a negative frame, anthropomorphism can more positively influence users’ attitudes toward cartoons than non-anthropomorphism; and (3) anthropomorphism, message framing, and voice type in cartoons significantly interact with risk perception. In addition, risk perception mediates the influence of anthropomorphism, message framing, and voice type on behavioral intention.

The Longitudinal Relationship Between eHealth Literacy, Health-Promoting Lifestyles, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among College Students: A Cross-Lagged Analysis

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the longitudinal associations between eHealth literacy, health-promoting lifestyles, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among college students.

Methods

From December 2019 (T1) to December 2020 (T2), we administered the eHealth literacy scale, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Short-Form Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile Scale to 1,181 college students in Jinan, China. Participants were recruited for 12 months for the two-stage survey.

Results

Stable positive correlations were shown between eHealth literacy, health-promoting lifestyles, and HRQoL across time. The cross-lagged analysis showed that eHealth literacy at T1 predicted health-promoting lifestyles at T2 (β = 0.080, P = 0.006); however, health-promoting lifestyles at T1 did not predict eHealth literacy at T2 (β = −0.026, P = 0.499). HRQoL at T1 predicted health-promoting lifestyles at T2 (β = 0.147, P < 0.001); however, similar to the eHealth literacy finding, health-promoting lifestyles at T1 did not predict HRQoL at T2 (β = 0.045, P = 0.142). eHealth literacy was also bi-directionally associated with HRQoL, and the prediction effect of eHealth literacy at T1 to HRQoL at T2 (β = 0.078, P = 0.008) was slightly higher than the prediction effect of HRQoL at T1 to eHealth literacy at T2 (β = 0.074, P = 0.023).

Conclusion

eHealth literacy and HRQoL may be antecedents for college students' health-promoting lifestyles. There may be significant bi-directional relationships between eHealth literacy and HRQoL.