Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression
Published on: April 26, 2024
Testing the reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms and insomnia
Robert J Zhou1, Brooklynn Bailey1, Daniel R Strunk1
1Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Background:
Although the importance of sleep difficulties in emotional disorders has long been acknowledged, the nature of the potential reciprocal relationship between sleep and depressive symptoms is not yet well understood. The coronavirus disease 19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to study the interrelation of these symptoms over a period marked by increases in sleep and psychological difficulties.
Methods:
Using online data collection, we followed 1200 adults (59% male) through 1 year of the pandemic. Measures of sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms were assessed at eight time points. Factor analysis of the items from these two measures suggested separate insomnia and depressive symptom factors. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to assess within-person relationships between factor analysis-informed subscales of insomnia and depressive symptoms.
Results:
Depressive symptoms predicted subsequent changes in insomnia symptoms; however, insomnia did not predict changes in depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest the impact of depressive symptoms on insomnia is evident, but the reverse is not. Implications of this finding along with the need for research addressing depressive symptoms and insomnia as treatment targets are discussed.
More Related Videos
06:23A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice
Published on: September 22, 2020
04:59Heat-sensitive Moxibustion as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Combined with Insomnia
Published on: May 30, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
Management of Insomnia
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Depression: Overview