ABSTRACT
Objectives/introduction: Since the first lockdown period of Spring 2020, the several COVID-19 contagion waves deeply impacted the sleep and mental health of the general population. Notwithstanding the largest vaccination campaign in human history, the pandemic has continued to disrupt the daily life of the worldwide population for two years now. Here, we report preliminary results on the longitudinal trajectories of sleep quality, insomnia, and mental health throughout the pandemic in Italy. Method(s): A total of 1039 Italians (mean age +/- standard error, 35.37 years +/- 0.39;18-81, 201 males) participated in a longitudinal study consisting of three survey waves. Subjects were evaluated during the first two contagion waves (T1: April 2020, T2: December 2020) and after two years from the first lockdown period (T3: April 2022). The survey comprised: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory-second edition (BDI-II), and the state-anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAIX1). Longitudinal data were analysed using linear mixed models. Result(s): Analysis showed unchanged PSQI overall score (p = 0.20;T1: 6.69 +/- 0.11;T2: 6.70 +/- 0.11;T3: 6.54 +/- 0.11). Comparisons on PSQI sub-components revealed improved subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep disturbances at T3 than at T1 (all p < 0.002). Conversely, participants reported shorter sleep duration and higher daytime dysfunctions at T3 than at T1 (both p < 0.001). Finally, the analyses highlighted differences in ISI (p < 0.001), BDI-II (p = 0.03), and STAI-X1 scores (p < 0.001) between the three assessment points. Bonferroni post hoc showed reduced ISI (T1: 8.05 +/- 0.16;T2: 7.42 +/- 0.16;T3: 6.96 +/- 0.16), and STAI-X1 scores (T1: 48.14 +/- 0.30;T2: 46.24 +/- 0.30;T3: 45.23 +/- 0.30) over time (all p < 0.01), and lower BDI-II scores (T1: 11.80 +/- 0.28;T2: 11.69 +/- 0.28;T3: 11.15 +/- 0.28) at T3 than at T1 (p = 0.03). Conclusion(s): Our study described a reassuring scenario after two years of the pandemic. We demonstrated relieving sleep disturbances, insomnia, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in a context of shorter sleep duration and more severe sleep-related daytime dysfunctions. Further long-term monitoring of sleep and mental health time course is necessary to claim the end of the pandemic emergency on sleep and psychological status of the general population.