Supervisors info:
Βασίλειος Μασδράκης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής , Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Κωνσταντίνος Ψάρρος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Γεώργιος Κωνσταντακόπουλος, Επιστημονικός Συνεργάτης, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Purpose: The relationship between anxiety manifestations and sleep quality has been studied and documented from different perspectives. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between certain anxiety manifestations, emotion regulation difficulties and sleep quality on the one hand and to examine the possible role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between anxiety manifestations and sleep quality, on the other hand.
Methods: In particular, the following self-administered scales were used: General Anxiety Disorder Scale (Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams & Löwe, 2006) and State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg & Jacobs, 1983) to assess anxiety manifestations, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman & Kupfer, 1989) to assess sleep quality and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004) to assess the levels of emotion regulation of 135 individuals from the general population, of which 80 were women and 55 men (N = 135), employees in the private sector. Using the SPSS statistical package, the correlations between the studied variables were examined. Then, applying a multiple regression model, the predictive role of independent variables in the dependent one was examined, as well as the role of emotion regulation difficulties as a regulatory factor in the relationship between anxiety manifestations and sleep quality.
Results: Overall, participants presented moderate levels of state anxiety (M = 46.46), trait anxiety (M = 43.49) and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (M = 9.32) and moderate levels of emotion regulation difficulties ( M = 2.53). At the same time, it was found that 63.7% evaluated their sleep quality as poor based on the score on the corresponding scale (M = 7.45).
Regarding the correlations between the studied variables, state anxiety (r = .609, p <.01), trait anxiety (r = .520, p <.01) and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (r = .661, p <. 01) appeared to have a moderate and statistically significant correlation with sleep quality. The correlation between the difficulties in emotion regulation (r =, 452, p <.01) and the quality of sleep was also moderate and statistically significant.
In addition, state anxiety (b = .318, p <.01), trait anxiety (b = .320, p <.01) and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (b = .397, p <.01) as well as emotion regulation difficulties (b = .274, p <.01) seemed to have a statistically significant predictive value regarding the variation in sleep quality with a small effect size, though. Finally, the regulatory effect of emotion regulation difficulties on the relationship between anxiety manifestations and sleep quality was not confirmed.
Conclusion: The results of the present study - in line with previous international research - suggest that both anxiety manifestations and difficulties in emotion regulation are significantly associated with poor sleep quality. In addition, there appears to be a small predictive effect (R adjusted square = .304) of anxiety manifestations and difficulties in emotion regulation on sleep quality. Therefore the clinician should, in people with sleep disorders, carefully investigate the presence of anxiety symptoms, as well as difficulties in managing emotions and intervene therapeutically to eliminate them.
Keywords:
State anxiety, Trait anxiety, Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, Sleep quality, Emotion regulation difficulties
