title: Quality Sleep Found to Build Resilience Against Depression and Anxiety, Study Shows
MADRID— Research conducted by the University of York (United Kingdom) reveals that getting quality sleep can help individuals develop resilience against depression and anxiety. The study, published in the scientific journal ‘Cortex’, emphasizes that chronic stress is a significant risk factor for mental disorders such as depression and pathological anxiety. However, it suggests that high-quality sleep and effective coping strategies, such as reframing situations to focus on the positive, can aid in preventing poor mental health outcomes when faced with negative or stressful experiences.
The research team examined data from over 600 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a period characterized by prolonged stress. Their objective was to test the hypothesis that coping strategies could promote positive mental health outcomes, with high-quality sleep reinforcing this effect.
Emma Sullivan, a PhD student from the Department of Psychology at York University, explained, “The COVID-19 pandemic provided us with a unique context to investigate our research questions, as it imposed prolonged stress on people worldwide. This study is the first to explore how positive coping strategies and sleep quality impact depression and anxiety when individuals are exposed to long-term stressors. We discovered that better sleep quality was associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
To conduct the study, the team analyzed data gathered from the Boston College Daily Survey on Sleep and Well-Being. Participants regularly reported on their sleep quality and mental well-being throughout the pandemic. In addition to sleep and mental well-being, surveys also collected demographic information, including age, gender, and ethnicity. Furthermore, the surveys captured details on alcohol consumption, quarantine status, and physical activity levels.
Scott Cairney, PhD project manager at the Department of Psychology from York University, highlighted the importance of their findings: “While we have long known that high-quality sleep is associated with better health and well-being outcomes, we wanted to examine if this relationship would hold under intense and prolonged periods of stress, as experienced by many during the pandemic. Our research revealed that sleep plays a critical role in managing chronic stress and maintaining overall well-being over an extended period, leading to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
The study adds to the growing evidence that prioritizing quality sleep and adopting effective coping strategies can have a significant impact on mental health, particularly during challenging times. As the world continues to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, these findings offer valuable insights into maintaining well-being amidst stress and adversity.
Source: Europa Press