Subjective sleep, depression and anxiety: inter‐relationships in a non‐clinical sample

Abstract

Objectives: Previous research confirms the interdependent relationship between poor sleep and depression, but has often focused on objective measures of sleep and overlooked the importance of subjective factors.Insomnia may be maintained by anxiety and perceptions of poor sleep timing, and depression is associated with poor sleep satisfaction, regardless of perceived sleep timing. Methods:This study explored the contribution of current depression and anxiety to sleep perceptions.Participants (n=98) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, and questionnaires were used to evaluate current and previous psychiatric illness, sleep disorders, and prescribed psychotropic medication.Results: A series of ANOVAs and regression analyses indicated that variance in sleep timing perceptions was more likely to be explained by symptoms of anxiety than depression; explained variance (adj. R 2 ) 25%, t = 2.361; p=.023. The analyses also showed that sleep satisfaction perceptions (adj. R 2 = 20%, t = 3.085; p=.004), and those relating to overall quality of life (adj. R 2 = 37%, t = -2.763; p=.013), was more likely to be explained by symptoms of depression. Conclusions:These findings support the observation that anxiety appears related to poorer sleep timing perceptions, while depression appears associated with poor sleep satisfaction. Further research is needed to explore the factors that might maintain poor sleep satisfaction in depression.

Mental Health, Sleep Quality, Drinking Motives, and Alcohol-Related Consequences: A Path-Analytic Model

“…High rates of co-occurring mental health and sleep problems that emerged for participants in our study are consistent with prior research (e.g., Brooks et al, 2009;Mayers et al 2009;Moo-Estrella et al, 2005;Patten et al, 2000;Riemann et al, 2001). In the current study, sleep quality indirectly predicted alcohol consequences, such that poor mental health predicted poor sleep quality and poor sleep quality predicted alcohol-related consequences.…”

“…Furthermore, adolescents and young adults may be especially prone to both mental health and sleep problems (Chorney et al, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2010;Hicks and Garcia, 1987). In fact, disturbances in sleep and self-reported sleep dissatisfaction represent core symptoms of depression (Brooks et al, 2009;Mayers et al, 2009;Moo-Estrella et al, 2005;Riemann et al, 2001). Anxiety is also strongly related to poorer sleep quality (e.g., Mayers et al, 2009;Uhde et al, 2009): The prevalence of insomnia in patients with anxiety disorders ranges from 70% to 90% (Maher et al, 2006).…”

“…In fact, disturbances in sleep and self-reported sleep dissatisfaction represent core symptoms of depression (Brooks et al, 2009;Mayers et al, 2009;Moo-Estrella et al, 2005;Riemann et al, 2001). Anxiety is also strongly related to poorer sleep quality (e.g., Mayers et al, 2009;Uhde et al, 2009): The prevalence of insomnia in patients with anxiety disorders ranges from 70% to 90% (Maher et al, 2006). Moreover, longitudinal and experimental research has supported the prognostic importance of depression (Brooks et al, 2009;Patten et al, 2000;Szklo-Coxe et al, 2007), anxiety (Kennedy et al, 1991; for review, see Ware and Morin, 1997), and stress (Gross and Borkovec, 1982;Hicks and Garcia, 1987) on negative sleep outcomes.…”

Associations of Subjective Sleep Quality with Depression Score, Anxiety, Physical Symptoms and Sleep Onset Latency in Young Students

“…Furthermore, sleep quality is often discussed in context with mental health. Evidence supports the hypothesis that poor sleep quality is associated with decreased mental health and well-being (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Sleep Disturbances in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: Incongruence Between Sleep Log and Actigraphy

“…Thus, patients with MDD may be biased and report poor sleep quality even when objective data indicate that they experienced undisturbed sleep (Chen, Burley, & Gotlib, 2012). The relationship between sleep disturbances and depression has been researched widely (Gupta et al, 2009;Mayers, Grabau, Campbell, & Baldwin, 2009;McCall et al, 2010;McNamara, Auerbach, Johnson, Harris, & Doros, 2010). However, data from studies that simultaneously assessed sleep subjectively and objectively are rare (Matousek, Cervena, Zavesicka, & Brunovsky, 2004;McCall et al, 2012).…”