Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
Sleep disturbance mediates the relationship between perceived racism and depressive symptoms
Patrick R Steffen1, Matthew Bowden
1Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University; 284 Taylor Building; Provo, UT 84602-8626, USA. steffen@byu.edu
Objectives:
To examine the effects of racism on sleep disturbance and depression and to examine whether sleep disturbance mediates the effects of racism on depression.
Design:
Cross-sectional questionnaire study.
Setting:
Community.
Participants:
168 Hispanic-American immigrants, 45% female, average age 33 years, average length of time living in the United States was 5 years.
Measures:
The Perceived Racism Scale for Latinos, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale.
Results:
Using hierarchical linear regression analyses, perceived racism was related to increased sleep disturbance (b=.21, P<.01) and higher levels of depressive symptoms (b=.24, P<.01). When sleep disturbance was included in the regression equation, perceived racism was no longer a significant predictor of depressive symptoms (b=.10, nonsignificant), indicating that sleep disturbance mediated the relationship between perceived racism and depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
This study adds to the research literature by identifying sleep disturbance as a potential pathway through which perceived racism may affect health.
Related Concept Videos
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Factors Affecting Perception
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Self-Discrepancy Theory