Sleep Disturbance in Chinese College Students with Mental Health Problems: A Moderated Mediation Model

Yanping Sun (), Lin Wang, Chang Li and Wanshu Luo
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Yanping Sun: Department of Applied Psychology, College of Sports and Health, Shandong Sport University, Jinan 250102, China
Lin Wang: Student Affairs Office, Shandong Sport University, Jinan 250102, China
Chang Li: Department of Insurance, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan 250014, China
Wanshu Luo: School of Dance, Shandong Youth University of Political Science, Jinan 250103, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-12

Abstract: Sleep disturbance has an enormous impact on college students. Poor sleep is associated with low academic achievement, psychological distress and high health risk behaviors. College students with various mental health problems (e.g., anxiety and depression) are particularly at risk for sleep problems. The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of a wide range of internalizing/externalizing psychological problems on sleep disturbance. A total of 2134 Chinese college students (60.2% men) with mental health problems were selected as participants after completing the self-reported Chinese college student mental health screening scale. A web-based survey was used to assess a wide variety of internalizing/externalizing psychological problems and sleep disturbance. The results showed that hostility, somatic symptoms and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) were significantly associated with sleep disturbance. Somatic symptoms played a mediating role in the relationship between hostility and sleep disturbance. Moreover, the mediating effect was moderated by OCS, and a significant difference in the mediating effects was observed between low OCS and high OCS groups. Overall, our research findings indicate that a high level of OCS exacerbates the adverse effects of somatic symptoms on sleep disturbance, and suggests that assessment and improvement of hostility, somatic symptoms and OCS should be considered in facilitating better sleep among college students with mental health problems.

Keywords: hostility; somatic symptoms; obsessive-compulsive symptoms; sleep disturbance; college students with mental health problems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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