In university students in Jordan, those with serious sleep problems are much more likely to also experience depression and anxiety, and these mental health issues tend to occur together, indicating they may reinforce each other.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Whether insomnia, anxiety, and depression consistently co-occur and influence each other over time across diverse young adult populations, and whether treating one improves the others.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies tracking insomnia (ISI), anxiety (HADS), and depression (HADS) in young adults aged 18–25 over 2+ years, evaluating bidirectional associations using structural equation modeling and adjusting for confounders like stress, screen time, and physical activity.
Whether improving sleep quality in young adults with insomnia reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, or vice versa.
A double-blind RCT of 200 university students with moderate-to-severe insomnia (ISI ≥15) randomized to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or waitlist control for 8 weeks, measuring changes in HADS-anxiety and HADS-depression scores as secondary outcomes.
Whether insomnia prospectively predicts the onset of anxiety or depression, or whether anxiety/depression predicts the onset of insomnia in young adults.
A prospective cohort study following 1500 university students aged 18–22 for 3 years, assessing insomnia (ISI), anxiety (HADS), and depression (HADS) at baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months, using time-lagged regression to determine directional relationships while controlling for academic stress and sleep hygiene.
Whether young adults with clinical depression have a higher prevalence of prior insomnia compared to matched controls without depression.
A case-control study comparing the history of insomnia (ISI ≥15 for ≥3 months) in 200 university students with clinical depression (HADS ≥11) and 200 matched controls (HADS ≤7), using structured interviews and validated sleep diaries from the prior year.
Whether insomnia, anxiety, and depression co-occur in a population at a single point in time.
A cross-sectional survey of 1000 university students measuring ISI, HADS-anxiety, and HADS-depression simultaneously, as performed in the current study.