Sleep Disorder Symptom Comorbidity and Common Mental Health Problems in Emerging Adulthood: Preliminary Evidence of a Dose-Dependent-Like Association

This study investigated the relationship between symptoms of sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression in a sample of 871 emerging adults (aged 18-25 years, 74% women, 78% White/Caucasian). Utilizing secondary data from a study of US college students, we examined the cross-sectional associations between self-reported sleep disorder symptoms and their comorbidity on mental health outcomes. Regression analyses revealed significant associations between total sleep disorder symptoms and symptoms of both anxiety and depression. MANOVA results indicated a dose-dependent-like relationship between the number of self-reported sleep disorders and increasingly higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings are correlational and based on data from self-report, non-clinical measures, but are nevertheless supportive of continued investigation of sleep assessments in youth mental health settings and interventions targeting sleep problems for a range of psychological symptoms. Future research should explore specific symptom comorbidity patterns across a broader range of psychological disorder-related symptoms.