The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Possible Model of the Direct and Indirect Impact of the Pandemic on Sleep Quality in Italians (original) (raw)
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Poor Sleep Quality and Its Consequences on Mental Health During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously affected the whole of Italy. The extreme virulence and the speed of propagation resulted in restrictions and home confinement. This change was immediately perceived by people who found themselves exposed to feelings of uncertainty, fear, anger, stress, and a drastic change in the diurnal but above all nocturnal lifestyle. For these reasons, we aimed to study the quality of sleep and its connection to distress levels and to evaluate how lifestyle changed in the Italian population during the lockdown. Methods: By means of an Internet survey we recruited 6,519 adults during the whole of the COVID-19 lockdown (from March 10-1st phase to May 4-2nd phase). We investigated the sociodemographic and COVID-19-related information and assessed sleep quality using the Medical Outcomes Study-sleep scale (MOS-SS) and mental health with the short form of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 Items (DASS-21). Multiple logistic regression model was used to evaluate the multivariate association between the dependent variable (good sleeper vs. poor sleeper) and all the variables that were significant in the univariate analysis. Results: A total of 3,562 (55.32%) participants reported poor sleep quality according to the MOS-Sleep Index II score. The multiple binary logistic regression results of poor sleepers revealed several risk factors during the outbreak restrictions: female gender, living in Central Italy, having someone close who died because of COVID-19, markedly changed sleep-wake rhythms characterized by earlier or postponed habitual bedtime,
Poor quality of sleep and its consequences on mental health during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy
2020
BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously affected all Italy. The extreme virulence, the speed of propagation resulted in restrictions and home confinement. This change was immediately perceived by people who found themselves exposed to feelings of uncertainty, fear, anger, stress and a drastic change in the diurnal but above all nocturnal lifestyle. For these reasons, we aimed to study the quality of sleep and its connection to distress levels and evaluate how lifestyle changed in the Italian population during the lockdown.MethodsThrough an internet survey we recruited 6,519 adults during the whole COVID-19 lockdown (from 10thMarch – 1st phase - to 4th May – 2nd phase). We investigated the socio-demographic and COVID-19 related information and assessed sleep quality using the Medical Outcomes Study - sleep scale (MOS-SS) and mental health with the short form of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales – 21 Items (DASS-21). Multiple logistic regression model was used to ...
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020
Background: The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global health emergency. The extreme actions aimed to reduce virus diffusion have profoundly changed the lifestyles of the Italian population. Moreover, fear of contracting the infection has generated high levels of anxiety. This study aimed to understand the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep quality, general anxiety symptomatology, and psychological distress. Methods: An online survey collected information on socio-demographic data and additional information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, sleep quality, sleep disorders, generalized anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology related to COVID-19 were assessed. Results: This study included 2291 respondents. The results revealed that 57.1% of participants reported poor sleep quality, 32.1% high anxiety, 41.8% high distress, and 7.6% reported PTSD symptomatology linked to COVID-19. Youth and women, those uncertain regarding possible COVID-19 infection, and greater fear of direct contact with those infected by COVID-19 had an increased risk of developing sleep disturbances, as well as higher levels of anxiety and distress. Finally, a significant relationship between sleep quality, generalized anxiety, and psychological distress with PTSD symptoms related to COVID-19 was evidenced. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a risk factor for sleep disorders and psychological diseases in the Italian population, as previously reported in China. These results should be used as a starting point for further studies aimed to develop psychological interventions to minimize the brief and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Square (Research Square), 2024
, the disease escalated into a global pandemic forcing governments around the world to impose measures that affected all aspects of life. Among other countries, Greece adopted social restriction, lockdowns, and quarantines to reduce transmission from person to person. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the impact of those measures on sleep health in a Greek adult sample. An online questionnaire collected data during from 650 participant. Results: 60% of responders scored below the clinical cutoff on the RU-SATED, indicating they experienced poor sleep health. Better sleep health was reported with increased age and years of education. On the other hand, higher trauma-related distress, depression, anxiety and stress symptomatology were related to poorer sleep health. No gender differences were observed, and degree of compliance to pandemic restrictions did not in uence sleep health. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated di culty in securing enough/healthy food, testing positive for COVID-19, experiencing an increase in verbal arguments/con icts at home and an increase in responsibilities were the strongest predictors of poor sleep heath. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of maintaining good sleep health as a pillar of general physical and mental health.
Effects of Covid-19 Lockdown on Mental Health and Sleep Disturbances in Italy
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Italy was the first European country that entered a nationwide lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since quarantine can impact on mental health, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and sleeping disturbances in the Italian population during lockdown. The factors that might influence such outcomes were explored. A national cross-sectional survey was performed during the last 14 days of the Italian lockdown. Questionnaires assessed socio-demographics characteristic, behaviors and healthcare access. The outcomes were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2. Participants with sleep disturbances completed the Insomnia Severity Index. The sample size was 1515. Depression and anxiety symptom prevalence was 24.7% and 23.2%; 42.2% had sleep disturbances and, among them, 17.4% reported moderate/severe insomnia. Being female, an increased time spent on the internet and an avoidance of activities through...
Journal of Family, Counseling and Education, 2020
COVİD-19 pandemic affecting the entire world rapidly and unpreparedly also continues to increase its effect in our country. In addition to the economic and health problems repeatedly addressed, the negative impact of the pandemic on human psychology also draws attention. In this study where we tried to measure the psychological impact of COVİD-19 pandemic on the society, the anxiety level of the individuals and some parameters such as anxiety-related sleep habit were also studied. In this context, the data were collected through a questionnaire generated by the researcher and GAD-7 scale (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) The research design was developed according to correlational survey design, one of the quantitative research methods. In the study, data were collected from 451 people (M = 226, F = 225) through online forms using easy sampling method. Results were analysed with descriptive statistics and independent t test methods. According to the results of the study, it was determined that a big part of the participants had high anxiety levels. Also, it was determined that individuals' sleeping habits changed and they had trouble sleeping during COVİD-19 pandemic. The study found that individuals having trouble sleeping, had a higher inclination to have generalized anxiety. The results were discussed in accordance with the literature and some proposals were made.
Sleep Science
Objective: This study aimed firstly to describe sleep-related and mental health symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a national-wide sample and, secondly, to verify attitudes towards help-seeking to treat these symptoms. Material and Methods: Data were collected through an online questionnaire sent through the Brazilian Sleep Association's social media. The questionnaire included sociodemographic and sleep aspects questions currently and before the pandemic period. In addition, the survey addressed current and previous anxiety, depression, and burnout symptoms. The outcome help-seeking was addressed in the questionnaire as well by a single question asked when the participant reported mental or sleep problems. Results: The study covered 6,360 participants, mean age 43.5 years (SD=14.3), 76.7% female and 63.7% with undergraduate or higher degree filled out the survey. Seventy percent of participants reported sleep disturbances and 80% reported symptoms of anxiety during the pandemic. Help-seeking behavior was found only in one third of them. Hours of sleep reduced from 7.12 to 6.2h, which can be related with the increase in 28.2% of dissatisfaction with sleep duration during the pandemic. The highest frequency of complaints related to sleep was difficulty to fall asleep three or more times a week (going from 27.6% before the pandemic to 58.9% during the pandemic; p<0.001). Moreover, it was observed that help-seeking was more prevalent in men than women, and more in younger participants than in older ones. Conclusion: There was an increase of sleep and mental self-reported problems during the pandemic, which was not followed by help-seeking.
Sleep Medicine, 2021
Italy and Belgium have been among the first western countries to face the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency, imposing a total lockdown over the entire national territories. These limitations have proven effective in slowing down the spread of the infection. However, the benefits obtained in public health have come with huge costs in terms of social, economic, and psychological well-being. In the current study, we aimed at investigating how the period of home confinement affected self-reported sleep characteristics in Italians and Belgians, with special regard to sleep timing and subjective quality. Using an online survey we collected data from 2272 participants, 1622 Italians (Mage=34.1±13.6 years, 1171 F), and 650 Belgian (Mage=43.0±16.8 years, 509 F). Participants reported their sleep pattern (e.g., bedtime, risetime) and perceived sleep quality during and, retrospectively, before the lockdown. During the lockdown, sleep timing was significantly delayed, time spent in bed increased, and sleep quality was markedly impaired in both Italians and Belgians. The most vulnerable individuals appeared to be women, subjects experiencing a more negative mood, and those perceiving the pandemic situation as highly stressful. However, the two samples differed in the subgroups most affected by the changes, possibly because of the different welfare systems of the two countries. In fact, in the Italian sample sleep quality and timing underwent significant modifications especially in unemployed participants, whereas in the Belgian sample this category was the one who suffered less from the restrictions. Considering that the novel coronavirus has spread across the whole globe, involving countries with different types of health and welfare systems, understanding which policy measures have the most effective protecting role on physical and mental health is of primary importance.
Brain Sciences
The restraining measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak deeply affected the general population’s sleep health and psychological status. The current literature proposes young and older people as two particularly at-risk groups. However, the differential impact of the lockdown period in these specific age categories needs to be disentangled. Through a web-based survey adopting validated questionnaires, we evaluated and compared sleep quality/habits, insomnia, perceived stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms of Italian late adolescents (n = 670; mean age ± SD, 19.38 ± 0.74, 18–20 years) and elderly (n = 253; 68.18 ± 2.79, 65–75 years). Young respondents reported more severe insomnia symptoms, worse subjective sleep quality, longer sleep latency, higher daytime dysfunction, and a more prevalent disruption of sleep habits (bedtime, get-up time, nap) than the elderly. On the other hand, older participants showed shorter sleep duration, lower habitual sleep efficiency, and greater use of s...
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2020
Objectives: One of the largest clusters of Covid-19 infections was observed in Italy. The population was forced to home confinement, exposing individuals to increased risk for insomnia, which is, in turn, associated with depression and anxiety. Through a cross-sectional online survey targeting all Italian adult population (≥18 yrs), insomnia prevalence and its interactions with relevant factors were investigated.Methods: The survey was distributed from 1st April to 4th May 2020. We collected information on insomnia severity, depression, anxiety, sleep hygiene behaviors, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, circadian preference, emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, perceived stress, health habits, self-report of mental disorders, and variables related to individual difference in life changes due to the pandemic's outbreak.Results: The final sample comprised 1,989 persons (38.4 ± 12.8 yrs). Prevalence of clinical insomnia was 18.6%. Results from multivariable linear regression...