Annals of Thoracic Medicine (Jan 2022)

Sleep quality and mental health in coronavirus disease 2019 patients and general population during the pandemic

  • Ranya Alshumrani,
  • Sultan Qanash,
  • Ahmad Aldobyany,
  • Faris Alhejaili,
  • Ibrahim AlQassas,
  • Mohammed Shabrawishi,
  • Omar Alnashiwaty,
  • Mohannad Badghaish,
  • Mohammad Adnan,
  • Ahmed Bin Afeef,
  • Dhafer Alghamdi,
  • Salman Aljehani,
  • Anas Alsurahi,
  • Abdulaziz Faruqui,
  • Ayman Krayem,
  • Md Dilshad Manzar,
  • Siraj Wali

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/atm.atm_191_21
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 1
pp. 21 – 27

Abstract

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OBJECTIVE: Sleep problems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic commonly affected general populations. Data on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality in Saudi Arabia are scarce. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate sleep quality and assess the psychological burden of the pandemic in COVID-19 patients and the general population. METHODS: This was a multicenter, observational, cross-sectional survey. Participants with COVID-19 were recruited from different health-care centers in the western region during the lockdown period from May 13, 2020 to September 2, 2020. All participants completed a validated online survey. The control group comprised individuals from the general public who responded to the online survey through social media. Demographic data, COVID-19 status, and history of chronic diseases were collected. Sleep quality, depression, and insomnia were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results: In total, 1091 participants were surveyed and 643 (58.9%) were positive for COVID-19. Poor sleep quality was reported in 66.1% of COVID-19 patients (mean score ± standard deviation [SD] 6.9 ± 4.0) and 72.8% of controls (mean score ± SD 7.6 ± 4.3). Insomnia affected 50.5% of COVID-19 patients (mean score ± SD 6.5 ± 5.5) and 58.5% of controls (mean score ± SD 7.6 ± 5.5). Depression was diagnosed in 39.5% of COVID-19 patients (mean score ± SD 4.7 ± 4.6) and 70.1% of controls (mean score ± SD 8.9 ± 6.7). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on mental health and sleep quality in both COVID-19 patients and the general population but more pronounced in the general population.

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