Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Oct 5, 2024 5:06:07 GMT
Changes in sleep patterns in people with a history of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: a natural experiment - Published Oct 3, 2024
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic, while a major stressor, increased flexibility in sleep–wake schedules.
Objectives To investigate the impact of the pandemic on sleep patterns in people with a history of depression and identify sociodemographic, clinical or genetic predictors of those impacts.
Methods 6453 adults from the Australian Genetics of Depression Study (45±15 years; 75% women) completed surveys before (2016–2018) and during the pandemic (2020–2021). Participants were assigned to ‘short sleep’ (<6 hours), ‘optimal sleep’ (6–8 hours) or ‘long sleep’ (>8 hours). We focused on those having prepandemic ‘optimal sleep’.
Findings Pre pandemic, the majority (70%, n=4514) reported optimal sleep, decreasing to 49% (n=3189) during the pandemic. Of these, 57% maintained optimal sleep, while 16% (n=725) shifted to ‘short sleep’ and 27% (n=1225) to ‘long sleep’. In group comparisons ‘optimal-to-short sleep’ group had worse prepandemic mental health and increased insomnia (p’s<0.001), along with an elevated depression genetic score (p=0.002). The ‘optimal-to-long sleep’ group were slightly younger and had higher distress (p’s<0.05), a greater propensity to being evening types (p<0.001) and an elevated depression genetic score (p=0.04). Multivariate predictors for ‘optimal-to-short sleep’ included reported stressful life events, psychological or somatic distress and insomnia severity (false discovery rate-corrected p values<0.004), while no significant predictors were identified for ‘optimal-to-long sleep’.
Conclusion and implications The COVID-19 pandemic, a natural experiment, elicited significant shifts in sleep patterns among people with a history of depression, revealing associations with diverse prepandemic demographic and clinical characteristics. Understanding these dynamics may inform the selection of interventions for people with depression facing major challenges.
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic, while a major stressor, increased flexibility in sleep–wake schedules.
Objectives To investigate the impact of the pandemic on sleep patterns in people with a history of depression and identify sociodemographic, clinical or genetic predictors of those impacts.
Methods 6453 adults from the Australian Genetics of Depression Study (45±15 years; 75% women) completed surveys before (2016–2018) and during the pandemic (2020–2021). Participants were assigned to ‘short sleep’ (<6 hours), ‘optimal sleep’ (6–8 hours) or ‘long sleep’ (>8 hours). We focused on those having prepandemic ‘optimal sleep’.
Findings Pre pandemic, the majority (70%, n=4514) reported optimal sleep, decreasing to 49% (n=3189) during the pandemic. Of these, 57% maintained optimal sleep, while 16% (n=725) shifted to ‘short sleep’ and 27% (n=1225) to ‘long sleep’. In group comparisons ‘optimal-to-short sleep’ group had worse prepandemic mental health and increased insomnia (p’s<0.001), along with an elevated depression genetic score (p=0.002). The ‘optimal-to-long sleep’ group were slightly younger and had higher distress (p’s<0.05), a greater propensity to being evening types (p<0.001) and an elevated depression genetic score (p=0.04). Multivariate predictors for ‘optimal-to-short sleep’ included reported stressful life events, psychological or somatic distress and insomnia severity (false discovery rate-corrected p values<0.004), while no significant predictors were identified for ‘optimal-to-long sleep’.
Conclusion and implications The COVID-19 pandemic, a natural experiment, elicited significant shifts in sleep patterns among people with a history of depression, revealing associations with diverse prepandemic demographic and clinical characteristics. Understanding these dynamics may inform the selection of interventions for people with depression facing major challenges.