Elsevier

Sleep Medicine

Volume 74, October 2020, Pages 39-47
Sleep Medicine

Original Article
Sleep problems among Chinese adolescents and young adults during the coronavirus-2019 pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.06.001Get rights and content

Highlights

  • An online survey was used to conduct rapid assessment during the COVID-19 epidemic.

  • Sleep problems among adolescents and young adults were negatively associated with the level of projections of COVID-19 trend.

  • Social support (including subjective support and objective support) was a protective factor for insomnia symptoms.

  • Anxiety and depression symptoms were mediators between social support and insomnia symptoms.

Abstract

Objective

To assess the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of insomnia symptoms among Chinese adolescents and young adults affected by the outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Methods

This cross-sectional study included Chinese adolescents and young adults 12–29 years of age during part of the COVID-19 epidemic period. An online survey was used to collect demographic data, and to assess recognition of COVID-19, insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaires, respectively. The Social Support Rate Scale was used to assess social support.

Results

Among 11,835 adolescents and young adults included in the study, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms during part of the COVID-19 epidemic period was 23.2%. Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex and residing in the city were greater risk factors for insomnia symptoms. Depression or anxiety were risk factors for insomnia symptoms; however, social support, both subjective and objective, was protective factors against insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, anxiety and depression symptoms were mediators of social support and insomnia symptoms.

Conclusions

Results of this study revealed a high prevalence of sleep problems among adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 epidemic, especially senior high school and college students, which were negatively associated with students’ projections of trends in COVID-19. The adverse impact of COVID-19 was a risk factor for insomnia symptoms; as such, the government must devote more attention to sleep disorders in this patient population while combating COVID-19.

Keywords

Insomnia
COVID-19
Prevalence
Adolescents
Young adults

Abbreviations

COVID-19
coronavirus disease-2019
OR
odds ratio
CI
confidence interval
PSQI
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
PHQ-9
Patient Health Questionnaire
GAD-7
Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
SARS CoV-2
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2
SSRS
Social Support Rate Scale

Cited by (0)

1

Joint first authors: These two individuals contributed equally to the manuscript.

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