Sleep Disorder Symptom Comorbidity and Common Mental Health Problems in Emerging Adulthood
Preliminary Evidence of a Dose-Dependent-Like Association
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15705129 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maddison Duesterhaus (Swinburne University of Technology), Ben Bullock (0000-0003-1459-9061, Swinburne University of Technology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 431-438 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Emerging Adulthood (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2167-6968 • E-ISSN: 2167-6984 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21676968261432685 |
| OpenAlex | W7135064413 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 7 |
This study investigated the relationship between symptoms of sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression in a sample of 871 emerging adults (aged 18-25 years, 74% women, 78% White/Caucasian). Utilizing secondary data from a study of US college students, we examined the cross-sectional associations between self-reported sleep disorder symptoms and their comorbidity on mental health outcomes. Regression analyses revealed significant associations between total sleep disorder symptoms and symptoms of both anxiety and depression. MANOVA results indicated a dose-dependent-like relationship between the number of self-reported sleep disorders and increasingly higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings are correlational and based on data from self-report, non-clinical measures, but are nevertheless supportive of continued investigation of sleep assessments in youth mental health settings and interventions targeting sleep problems for a range of psychological symptoms. Future research should explore specific symptom comorbidity patterns across a broader range of psychological disorder-related symptoms
Anxiety · Association (psychology · Comorbidity · Depression (economics · Mental health · National Comorbidity Survey · Psychological intervention · Sleep (system call · Mental Health Research Topics · Sleep and related disorders · Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders
Insomnia as a predictor of depression
The human emotional brain without sleep — a prefrontal amygdala disconnect
Why is depression more common among women than among men?
The new life stage of emerging adulthood at ages 18–29 years
A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Bidirectional Associations Between Sleep and Anxiety Symptoms in Emerging Adults in a Residential College Setting
| Highly cited | No |
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