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Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression
Published on: April 26, 2024
Problematic Internet Use, Mental Health, and Sleep Quality among Medical Students: A Path-Analytic Model
Mohammad Reza Shadzi1, Alireza Salehi2, Hossein Molavi Vardanjani1
1MPH Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Background:
There is a close association between problematic Internet use (PIU), sleep quality, and mental health problems. To evaluate which mental health problem is more associated with coexistence of both PIU and poor sleep quality, we hypothesized a model in which PIU influences sleep quality directly and also through the mediation of three different mental health problems.
Methods:
A total of 402 medical students completed the Persian versions of the Internet Addiction Test, 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. A maximum likelihood structural equation model was used to assess the hypothesis. For assessment of the indirect effects, bootstrapping was conducted.
Results:
PIU predicted poor sleep quality through indirect pathways by the mediation of mental health problems (P < 0.001). Poor sleep quality were associated with depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.035), and stress (P < 0.001); however, the direct pathways from stress and anxiety to poor sleep quality were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Findings extend our previous knowledge about the interrelationships between PIU, sleep disturbances, and mental health problems by unveiling the key role of depressive symptoms.
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