0246 Sleep Hygiene Mediates The Relationship Between Depression And Sleep Quality In College Freshman

Abstract

Abstract Introduction A variety of attitudes, behaviors, and health attributes can influence sleep quality. Depression and sleep quality interact bidirectionally, with depressed individuals often sleeping worse. College freshman may be prone to worse sleep and depression due to significant lifestyle changes, including sleep hygiene (a set of behaviors and conditions promoting sleep). This study sought to examine the relationship between sleep hygiene and depression in predicting sleep quality in first-year college students. Methods 165 participants were recruited to investigate sleep behaviors associated with stress, mental health, physical activity and eating as they entered college. Data were recorded using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; Buysse et al., 1989), the Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (SHPS; Lin et al., 2007; Yang et al., 2010) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CESD; Radloff, 1977). A simple mediation analysis was run using the PROCESS macro for SPSS (Model 4; Hayes, 2018) with age and gender as covariates to examine direct and indirect associations of depression on sleep quality via sleep hygiene practices. Results In the model predicting sleep hygiene (R2 = .33, p < .001), depression had a significant effect (b = 1.90, p < .001), suggesting individuals scoring higher for depression engaged in more unhealthy sleep hygiene behaviors. The model predicting sleep quality (R2 = .47, p < .001) had significant effects from depression (b = .11, p = .005) and sleep hygiene (b = .09, p < .001) suggesting both higher depression scores and poor sleep hygiene behaviors associate with worse sleep quality. The indirect pathway was also significant (b = .17, CI: .11 - .24), suggesting depression’s impact on sleep hygiene behaviors also contributes to sleep quality. Conclusion One connection between depression and reduced sleep quality may be indirect via maladaptive sleep hygiene. Future research should look at addressing mental health with incoming students and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. Support (If Any) NA