Sleep disturbances and depression are bidirectionally associated among college student athletes across COVID-19 pandemic exposure classes.

College athletes may be vulnerable to sleep disturbances and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of large shifts in social and athletic obligations. In a national sample of college athletes, we examined the associations between sleep disturbances and depression across two timepoints, using COVID-19 exposure as a moderator. Data were collected from 2098 NCAA Division I, II, and III college athletes during two timepoints, from April 10 to May 23, and from August 4 to September 15, 2020. First, a latent class analysis was conducted with five indicators of levels of COVID-19 exposure to determine different exposure profiles. Second, to examine the directionality of associations between sleep disturbance and depression, a cross-lagged panel model was added to the latent class membership structural equation model; this allowed for testing of moderation by COVID exposure class membership. Four highly homogeneous, well-separated classes of COVID-19 exposure were enumerated: Low Exposure (57%); Quarantine Only (21%); High Other, Low Self Exposure (14%); and High Exposure (8%). COVID-19 exposure class membership did not significantly moderate associations between sleep disturbances and depression. However, student athletes significantly differed in T2 depression by their COVID-19 exposure class membership. Depression and sleep disturbances were positively correlated at both timepoints (r T1 = 0.39; r T2 = 0.30). Additionally, cross-lagged associations were found such that T2 depression was associated with T1 sleep disturbances (ß = 0.14) and vice versa (ß = 0.11). These cross-lagged associations were not significantly affected by athletes' level of COVID-19 exposure during the beginning of the pandemic.

Examination of daily-level associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and COVID-19 worries.

OBJECTIVE: Stressors and worries related to the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the onset and exacerbation of psychological symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a microlongitudinal framework, we uniquely investigated bidirectional associations between daily-level PTSD symptoms and COVID-19 worries. METHOD: Data from 42 trauma-exposed university students (Mage = 22.67 ± 5.02, 86.7% female) were collected between March and August 2020. Participants completed daily surveys for 10 days to assess PTSD symptom severity and COVID-19 worries. Multilevel regression was conducted to examine both lagged and simultaneous models of daily person-centered mean PTSD symptom severity predicting COVID-19 worries, and vice-versa. RESULTS: Days with greater COVID-19 worries were associated with greater same-day (b = .53, SE = .19, p = .006) and next-day (b = .65, SE = .21, p = .003) PTSD symptom severity. Additionally, days with greater PTSD symptom severity were associated with greater same-day COVID-19 worries (b = .06, SE = .02, p = .006). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 worries may influence same-day and next-day PTSD symptoms, and PTSD symptoms may influence same day COVID-19 worries. Findings substantiate the interplay between ongoing stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic and posttrauma symptoms and support therapeutically targeting COVID-19 stress in PTSD treatments to potentially impact posttrauma symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).