COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on sleep quality, mental health and memory

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on sleep quality, insomnia,&nbsp;mental health and memory in the United States. <b>Methods:</b> This was a cross-sectional study using publicly available database taken from Boston College COVID-19 Sleep and Well-Being Dataset. <b>Results:</b> A total of 476 subjects were included in the analysis, with&nbsp;a mean (SD) age of 38.8 (17.8) years. The population had a mean (SD) score of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI of 6 (3.2), with 65% having the prevalence of poor sleep quality (defined as PSQ ≥ 5; n=311). The mean (SD) score for Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was 6.9 (5.2), with 55 subjects (11.5%) had clinical insomnia (defined as ISI ≥ 15); of whom 9% had clinical severe insomnia. There were positive correlations between PSQI and ISI (r=0.76, p &lt; 0.001; Figure 1), PROMIS fatigue scale (r=0.53, p&lt;0.001), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) (r= 0.46, p&lt;0.001), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (r=0.44, p&lt;0.001).&nbsp;PSQI was inversely correlated to John Henryism Active Coping Scale (JHACS) and memory scale. In the multivariate regression model, JHACS, ISI, fatigue, PSS, and GAD-7 were significant predictors for PSQI, and these variables accounted for 62% of the variance of PSQI. <b>Conclusion:</b> There was a high prevalence of poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was&nbsp;in association&nbsp;with insomnia and other mental and physical well-being. This finding highlights&nbsp;the need to prioritize policy and public health efforts to address sleep issues, which have substantial health and economic effects for both individuals and the population at large.