1082 Sleep Duration and Psychological Distress: Mental Health Disparities Among Asian American Adults, National Health Interview Survey 2006–2018

Abstract Introduction Short (< 7h) and long sleep (>8h) have been linked to poor mental health. Short sleep disrupts brain regions regulating emotion, while long sleep may reflect underlying chronic illness. Asian Americans (AAs) report higher prevalence of insufficient sleep than non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), yet differences among subgroups remain understudied. We examined the relationship between sleep duration and moderate to severe psychological distress across disaggregated AA subgroups. Methods We analyzed 2006–2018 National Health Interview Survey data (N=880,210; 523,148 NHWs; 58,283 AAs: 12,056 Chinese, 13,211 Filipino, 11,249 Asian Indian, 21,767 Other Asian). Sleep was categorized as short (< 7h), ideal (7–8h), or long (>8h). Psychological distress was measured using the validated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), dichotomized as moderate/severe distress (K6 ≥5) versus no distress (< 5). Weighted multivariate logistic regressions estimated odds ratios, adjusting for sociodemographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and health covariates. Analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity. Results Short sleep was associated with higher odds of psychological distress (OR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.82–1.92), as was long sleep (OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.48–1.61). Aggregating all AAs, the short sleep–distress association did not differ significantly from NHWs (OR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.89–1.08), while the long sleep–distress association was weaker (OR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.66–0.98). Subgroup analyses revealed heterogeneity. Chinese adults showed weaker associations for short sleep (p=0.038), and Other Asian adults for long sleep (p=0.046). No significant differences were found for Filipino or Indian adults. Covariates strongly linked to distress included poor self-rated health (OR=3.27, 95% CI: 3.11–3.44), low income (<$35,000 vs >$75,000; OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.95–2.16), female sex (OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.36–1.48), and chronic condition (OR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.56–1.71). Conclusion Sleep duration is strongly associated with psychological distress among U.S. adults, but magnitudes vary across AA subgroups. Aggregating AAs obscures important heterogeneity in sleep and mental health associations. Findings underscore the importance of disaggregated data and culturally competent interventions addressing sleep health and mental well-being within AA communities. Support (if any)