scholarly journals Sleep among gender minority adolescents

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica C Levenson ◽  
Brian C Thoma ◽  
Jessica L Hamilton ◽  
Sophia Choukas-Bradley ◽  
Rachel H Salk

Abstract Study Objectives Stigmatized youth experience poorer sleep than those who have not experienced stigma. However, no studies have examined the sleep of gender minority adolescents (GMAs). Examining sleep disparities between GMAs and non-GMAs is critical because poor sleep is associated with mental health outcomes experienced disproportionately by GMAs. We examined sleep duration, sleep problems, and sleep quality among our sample and compared these parameters between GMAs and non-GMAs. Methods Adolescents aged 14–18 years (n = 1,027 GMA, n = 329 heterosexual non-GMA, n = 415 sexual minority non-GMA; mean age = 16 years; 83% female sex at birth) completed a cross-sectional online survey, reporting sex assigned at birth and current gender identity, sleep duration, sleep problems (too much/too little sleep and inadequate sleep), sleep quality, and depressive symptoms. Results Accounting for demographic covariates, GMAs were more likely to report inadequate sleep and shorter sleep duration and had higher odds of reporting poor sleep quality and getting too little/too much sleep than heterosexual non-GMAs. After also adjusting for depressive symptoms, the finding that GMAs more often reported poor sleep quality remained significant. Conclusions This first large, nationwide survey of sleep among GMAs suggests that GMAs may be more likely to have poor sleep than non-GMAs. The significance of our results was reduced when adjusting for depressive symptoms, suggesting that poorer sleep may occur in the context of depression for GMAs. Future work should include objective measures of sleep, examine the emergence of sleep disparities among GMAs and non-GMAs, and explore pathways that increase risk for poor sleep among GMAs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1520
Author(s):  
Maurizio Gorgoni ◽  
Serena Scarpelli ◽  
Anastasia Mangiaruga ◽  
Valentina Alfonsi ◽  
Maria R. Bonsignore ◽  
...  

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep have been widely documented, but longitudinal evaluations during different phases of the “COVID-19 era” are needed to disentangle the specific consequences of the r145estrictive measures on sleep variables. The aim of this study was to assess the immediate effect of the lockdown’s end on sleep and sleep-related dimensions in an Italian sample, also considering the stress and depressive symptoms. We used an online survey to longitudinally collect data on sociodemographic, environmental, clinical, sleep, and sleep-related variables in two time points: during and immediately after the lockdown. The final sample included 102 participants. The large prevalence of poor sleep quality, clinically relevant pre-sleep arousal, and depressive symptoms, as well as poor sleep quality and pre-sleep arousal score observed during the lockdown, remained stable after its end. On the other hand, the prevalence of moderate-to-severe event-related stress and intrusive symptom scores exhibited a drastic reduction after the end of home confinement. Both bedtime and rise time were anticipated after the lockdown, while sleep quality exhibited only a trend of post-lockdown sleep disturbance reduction. Our findings point to a reduced stress level (specific for the intrusive symptomatology) after the end of the lockdown and persistence of sleep problems, suggesting two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: (a) the strict restrictive measures are not the main cause of sleep problems during the pandemic and (b) home confinement induces long-lasting effects on sleep observable after its end, and a longer period of time might be needed to observe an improvement.


Author(s):  
Yanlin Wang ◽  
Ping Jiang ◽  
Shi Tang ◽  
Lu Lu ◽  
Xuan Bu ◽  
...  

Abstract Anxiety and depressive symptoms may predispose individuals to sleep disturbance. Understanding how these emotional symptoms affect sleep quality, especially the underlying neural basis, could support the development of effective treatment. The aims of the present study were therefore to investigate potential changes in brain morphometry associated with poor sleep quality and whether this structure played a mediating role between the emotional symptoms and sleep quality. One hundred and forty-one healthy adults (69 women, mean age = 26.06 years, SD = 6.36 years) were recruited. A structural magnetic resonance imaging investigation was performed, and self-reported measures of anxiety, depressive symptoms and sleep quality were obtained for each participant. Whole-brain regression analysis revealed that worse sleep quality was associated with thinner cortex in left superior temporal sulcus (STS). Furthermore, the thickness of left STS mediated the association between the emotional symptoms and sleep quality. A subsequent commonality analysis showed that physiological component of the depressive symptoms had the greatest influence on sleep quality. In conclusion, thinner cortex in left STS may represent a neural substrate for the association between anxiety and depressive symptoms and poor sleep quality and may thus serve as a potential target for neuromodulatory treatment of sleep problems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S678-S678
Author(s):  
Melanie Stearns ◽  
Danielle K Nadorff

Abstract Recent evidence has shown that poor quality sleep is associated with depression, particularly among older individuals (Bao et al., 2017; Nadorff, Fiske, Sperry, & Petts, 2012). Moreover, given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms among older adults, it is important to identify possible risk factors of poor sleep quality. One possible risk factor is being a custodial grandparent (raising one’s grandchildren), as increased caregiving responsivities are associated with increased depressive symptoms (Brand-Winterstein, Edelstein, & Bachner, 2018). Based upon these previous findings, the current study examines the effect of custodial status on the relation between sleep quality and depressive symptoms. The sample (N = 466) was a subset of individuals recruited in the second wave of the MIDUS biomarkers project completed in 2009 who answered the sleep, caregiving, and depressive symptoms variables of interest. Measures included the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and a question regarding custodial grandparent status. The current study aimed to examine whether poor sleep quality might serve as a risk factor for experiencing depressive symptoms and how custodial grandparents might differ from other older adults. Moderation analyses were conducted using SPSS’ Process macro on the sample. The interaction between global sleep quality and custodial grandparent status was significant in predicting depressive symptoms, t (1, 465) = 3.90, p = .04, such that custodial grandparents reported a stronger positive correlation between greater global sleep problems and depressive symptoms than non-custodial grandparents. Implications, future directions, and limitations are discussed.


Hypertension ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Maria Bruno ◽  
Laura Palagini ◽  
Alessia Di Giulio ◽  
Angelo Gemignani ◽  
Stefano Taddei ◽  
...  

Purpose: Insomnia and short sleep duration have been associated with increased incidence of hypertension. However, the relationship between sleep loss and resistant hypertension (RH), has not been ascertained yet. Methods: 270 patients at first access to our Hypertension Outpatient Unit were enrolled. RH was defined according as office BP values >140/90 mmHg with 3 or more antihypertensive drugs, or controlled BP with 4 or more drugs, including a diuretic. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were assessed. Poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI>5, mild-to-severe depressive symptoms as BDI score >10. Patients with self-reported sleep apneas or snoring were excluded (n=21). Results: Complete data were available for 234 patients (males 51%, mean age 58±13 years, BMI 26±5 kg/mq, antihypertensive treatment 84%, previous CV events 12%, diabetes 8%, smoking 15%, hypercholesterolemia 60%). Mean sleep duration was 6.4±1.6 hours, with a 49% prevalence of short sleep duration (<6 hours) and similar in both sexes. Conversely, women had higher PSQI scores (5.2 vs 3.6, p=0.03) and prevalence of poor sleep quality (46% vs 30% in men, p=0.01). Women showed also higher BDI scores (4.5 vs 1.8, p=0.006) and prevalence of depressive symptoms than men (20% vs 7%, p=0.003). RH patients (15%) had higher PSQI (5.8 vs 4.1, p=0.03), a difference shown in women (6.8 vs 4.8, p=0.04) but not in men (4.7 vs 3.5, p=0.37). The association between BDI score and RH showed a similar behavior (overall 3.6 vs 2.8, p=0.02; women 5.1 vs 3.7, p=0.03; men: 2.0 vs 1.9, p=0.53). In a multiple logistic regression analysis (including age, sex, obesity, diabetes, previous CV events, sleep duration, use of hypnotic drugs) poor sleep quality was independently associated with RH (OR 2.2, CI95% 1.1-5.3). However this relationship lost significance when also depressive symptoms were included in the model (p=0.12). Conclusions: Short sleep duration is highly prevalent in hypertensive patients. This condition is accompanied by poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms in women. Poor sleep quality is associated with a 2-fold higher probability of having RH. This association could be mediated by the presence of depressive symptoms.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atin Supartini ◽  
Takanori Honda ◽  
Nadzirah A. Basri ◽  
Yuka Haeuchi ◽  
Sanmei Chen ◽  
...  

Aim. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of bedtime, wake time, sleep duration, sleep-onset latency, and sleep quality on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation amongst Japanese freshmen.Methods. This cross-sectional data was derived from the baseline survey of the Enhancement of Q-University Students Intelligence (EQUSITE) study conducted from May to June, 2010. A total of 2,631 participants were recruited and completed the following self-reported questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the original Health Support Questionnaires developed by the EQUSITE study research team.Results. Of 1,992 participants eligible for analysis, 25.5% (n=507) reported depressive symptoms (CES-D total score ≥ 16), and 5.8% (n=115) reported suicidal ideation. The present study showed that late bedtime (later than 01:30), sleep-onset latency (≥30 minutes), and poor sleep quality showed a marginally significant association with depressive symptoms. Poor sleep quality was seen to predict suicidal ideation even after adjusting for depressive symptoms.Conclusion. The current study has important implications for the role of bedtime in the prevention of depressive symptoms. Improving sleep quality may prevent the development of depressive symptoms and reduce the likelihood of suicidal ideation.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e041995
Author(s):  
Yazan A Al-Ajlouni ◽  
Su Hyun Park ◽  
Jude Alawa ◽  
Ghaith Shamaileh ◽  
Aziz Bawab ◽  
...  

Background Jordan, a Middle Eastern country, declared a state of national emergency due to COVID-19 and a strict nationwide lockdown on 17 March 2020, banning all travel and movement around the country, potentially impacting mental health. This study sought to investigate the association between mental health (eg, anxiety and depressive symptoms) and sleep health among a sample of Jordanians living through a state of COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown. Methods Using Facebook, participants (n=1240) in Jordan in March 2020 were recruited and direct to a web-based survey measuring anxiety (items from General Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale instrument), depressive symptoms (items from Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), sleep health (items from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and sociodemographic. A modified Poisson regression model with robust error variance. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% CIs were estimated to examine how anxiety and depressive symptoms may affect different dimensions of sleep health: (1) poor sleep quality, (2) short sleep duration, (3) encountering sleep problems. Results The majority of participants reported having experienced mild (33.8%), moderate (12.9%) or severe (6.3%) levels of anxiety during lockdown, and nearly half of respondents reported depressive symptoms during lockdown. Similarly, over 60% of participants reported having experienced at least one sleep problem in the last week, and nearly half reported having had short sleep duration. Importantly, anxiety was associated with poor sleep health outcomes. For example, corresponding to the dose–response relationship between anxiety and sleep health outcomes, those reporting severe anxiety were the most likely to experience poor sleep quality (aPR =8.95; 95% CI=6.12 to 13.08), short sleep duration (aPR =2.23; 95% CI=1.91 to 2.61) and at least one problem sleep problem (aPR=1.73; 95% CI=1.54 to 1.95). Moreover, depressive symptoms were also associated with poor sleep health outcomes. As compared with scoring in the first quartile, scoring fourth quartile was associated with poor sleep quality (aPR=11.82; 95% CI=6.64 to 21.04), short sleep duration (aPR=1.87; 95% CI=1.58 to 2.22), and experiencing at least one sleep problem (aPR=1.90; 95% CI=1.66 to 2.18). Conclusions Increased levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms can negatively influence sleep health among a sample of Jordanian adults living in a state of COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown.


Author(s):  
İsmail YELPAZE

Prior research indicates that anxiety and emotion regulation are related to sleep quality. This study extends the body of research by investigating how people in different gender groups are affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) anxiety and emotion regulation in terms of sleep quality. The present study examined gender as a potential moderating variable on the associations of Covid-19 anxiety and emotion regulation with sleep quality. University students were recruited via e-mail to participate in a brief online survey. Data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Fear of COVID-19, and Emotion Management Skills Scale. The current study used SPSS PROCESS, an SPSS macro developed by Hayes. Results indicated that Covid-19 anxiety was related to poor sleep quality and emotion regulation was related to good sleep quality. Gender was a significant moderator for the relationship between Covid-19 anxiety and sleep quality, but not emotion regulation and sleep quality. The female gender presented a positive association between Covid-19 anxiety and poor sleep quality in comparison to the male gender. The relationship between emotion regulation and good sleep quality was found to be significant and positive for both genders. In the pandemic, Covid-19 anxiety should be reduced and people should have skills to manage their emotions. Otherwise, they will experience serious sleep problems.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A136-A137
Author(s):  
J C Levenson ◽  
B C Thoma ◽  
J L Hamilton ◽  
S Choukas-Bradley ◽  
R H Salk

Abstract Introduction Sleep problems are germane to the majority of adolescents, but stigmatized youth may experience poorer sleep than those who have not experienced stigma. However, no prior studies have examined sleep among transgender adolescents (TGAs). Investigating these sleep disparities is critical, since low sleep duration and poor sleep quality are predictive of depressive symptoms and suicidality among adolescents, two mental health outcomes experienced disproportionately by TGAs. Using a nationwide survey of adolescents, we examined sleep duration, sleep quality, and rates of insufficient sleep among a sample of adolescents, and we compared those parameters between TGAs and cisgender adolescents (CGAs). Methods Adolescents (n=1784) ages 14-18 completed an anonymous survey including measures of sleep, sexual and gender identity, depressive symptoms, and demographic variables. Participants were grouped as TGA or CGA. Unadjusted associations between gender identity and sleep outcomes were examined, followed by multivariate regression models examining associations adjusted for demographics and depressive symptoms. Results TGAs reported sleeping fewer hours, higher odds of being a ‘poor sleeper’, and lower odds of getting the right amount of sleep and getting ‘enough sleep’ than CGAs. After adjusting for key demographic variables, TGAs were still more likely to report that they were poor sleepers and less likely to report getting enough sleep compared to CGAs. When adding depressive symptoms as a covariate, the finding that TGAs reported they got enough sleep less often than CGAs remained marginally significant. Conclusion Transgender adolescents reported receiving poorer sleep than cisgender adolescents. Future studies should focus on longitudinally examining the emergence of sleep problems among TGAs and CGAs, which may also serve to identify specific biopsychosocial pathways that contribute to heightened risk for sleep problems among TGAs. Sleep disparities may be a promising target for prevention and intervention programs to improve health outcomes among stigmatized youth. Support This study was funded by the University of Pittsburgh Central Research Development Fund through an award to Drs. Salk, Choukas-Bradley, and Thoma. Dr. Levenson was supported by grant K23HD087433. Dr. Thoma was supported by grants T32MH018951 and K01MH117142, Dr. Salk was supported by grant T32MH018269, and Dr. Hamilton was supported by grant T32HL082610.


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. e017067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengsheng Li ◽  
Yeen Huang ◽  
Lan Guo ◽  
Wanxin Wang ◽  
Chuhao Xi ◽  
...  

ObjectivesRecent studies have suggested that sexual minorities are more likely to have poor sleep quality. This study aims to explore sleep quality among sexual minority adolescents and examines the association between sexual minority status and sleep quality.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingA total of 506 high schools in seven Chinese provinces.ParticipantsA total of 150 822 students in grades 7–12 completed the questionnaires, and 123 459 students who reported being aware of their sexual orientation were included in analyses.Main outcome measuresThe Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sexual attraction and school bullying victimisation.ResultsOf the 123 459 students who were analysed, 5.00% self-reported as sexual minorities. Only 26.67% of sexual minority students slept 8 or more hours/day, which is less than their heterosexual peers (35.70%; χ2=130.04, P<0.001). Of the total sample, 22.41% of the students reported poor sleep quality, and this prevalence was significantly higher in sexual minority students than in heterosexual students (32.56% vs 21.87%; χ2=281.70, P<0.001). After controlling for social demographics, lifestyle and depressive symptoms, sexual minority students had higher odds of poor sleep quality (adjusted OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.51) than their heterosexual peers. The indirect effect of school bullying victimisation (standardised β estimate=0.007, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.009) was significant, indicating that school bullying victimisation partially mediated the association between sexual minority status and sleep quality.ConclusionsOur study suggested that poor sleep quality was common in sexual minority adolescents, and more attention should be paid to sleep problems in this population. Conducting interventions to reduce school bullying behaviours is an important step to improving sleep quality in sexual minority adolescents. Further, studies are warranted that focus on the risk factors and mechanisms of and interventions for sleep problems in sexual minority adolescents.


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