Sleep, Mental Health, and the Need for Physical and Real-Life Social Contact with (Non-)Family Members during the COVID-19 Pandemic : A Bayesian Network Analysis

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Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2024-07

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Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

16

Series

Journal of Clinical Medicine, Volume 13, issue 13, pp. 1-16

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The forced social isolation implemented to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus was accompanied by a worsening of mental health, an increase in insomnia symptoms, and the emergence of ‘skin hunger’—an increased longing for personal touch. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the interconnection between sleep, mental health, and the need for physical (NPC) and real-life social contact (NRL-SC). Methods: A total of 2827 adults participated in an online survey during the second COVID-19 lockdown. A Bayesian Gaussian copula graphical model (BGCGM) and a Bayesian-directed acyclic graph (DAG) were estimated, and mixed ANOVAs were carried out. Results: NPC with non-family members (t(2091) = 12.55, p < 0.001, d = 0.27) and relational lifestyle satisfaction (t(2089) = 13.62, p < 0.001, d = 0.30) were lower during the second lockdown than before the pandemic. In our BGCGM, there were weak positive edges between the need for PC and RL-SC on one hand and sleep and mental health on the other. Conclusions: During the second lockdown, people craved less physical contact with non-family members and were less satisfied with their relational lifestyle than before the pandemic. Individuals with a greater need for PC and RL-SC reported poorer mental health (i.e., worry, depression, and mental fatigue).

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Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.

Keywords

lockdown, long COVID, mental health, pandemic, sleep, social isolation, touch

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Citation

Roland, A, Staring, L, Van Puyvelde, M, McGlone, F & Mairesse, O 2024, ' Sleep, Mental Health, and the Need for Physical and Real-Life Social Contact with (Non-)Family Members during the COVID-19 Pandemic : A Bayesian Network Analysis ', Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 13, no. 13, 3954, pp. 1-16 . https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13133954