Sleep quality and its relationship to mental health, physical health and health behaviours among young adults with serious mental illness enrolled in a lifestyle intervention trial

Early Interv Psychiatry. 2022 Jan;16(1):106-110. doi: 10.1111/eip.13129. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Abstract

Aim: To characterize subjective sleep quality and examine its associations with mental health, physical health and health behaviours in a transdiagnostic sample of young adults with serious mental illness (SMI) enrolled in a lifestyle intervention trial.

Methods: Baseline data from a lifestyle intervention trial with young adults (ages 18-35 years) with SMI included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), mental health, physical health and health behaviour outcomes. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used in analyses.

Results: Of 150 participants, 76% were categorized with poor sleep quality. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with sleep quality (β = .438, p < .001); however, no association was found with physical health and health behaviours.

Conclusions: Young adults with SMI enrolled in lifestyle interventions may benefit from treatment that addresses sleep as part of a comprehensive approach to health promotion with attention to the role of depressive symptoms in sleep quality.

Keywords: depressive symptoms; lifestyle intervention; serious mental illness; sleep; young adults.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Health Behavior
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Mental Health*
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders*
  • Sleep Quality
  • Young Adult