The relationships among sleep problems, anxiety, memory complaints and compulsive checking behaviours

Abstract

BackgroundObjectives: Existing studies suggest sleep problems are prevalent in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the nature of the relationship between sleep and obsessive-compulsive symptoms is unclear potentially due to variations in symptomatology among OCD subtypes. This study attempted to elucidate the sleep profiles of different OCD subtypes, the relationships of sleep problems with compulsive checking behaviours and the associated pathways involving anxiety and memory complaints. Design& Methods: In 191 university students, we tested the hypothesized model that objectively-measured sleep debt and self-report sleep disturbances would relate to memory complaints and an elevated level of anxiety, which would in turn be associated with increased checking behaviours, using structural equation modelling path analysis. ResultsWe found that sleep debt and sleep disturbance significantly related to repeated checking behaviours, a typical symptom of OCD. These effects were mediated through subjective memory complaints and anxiety symptoms. In addition, we identified distinctive sleep profiles for different categories of OCD symptoms.