COVID-19 worry, coping techniques, and sleep-related impairment

Objective: To examine associations among college students’ worry about COVID-19, use of healthy and unhealthy coping techniques, and sleep-related impairment. Participants: The sample consisted of 366 undergraduate students (M_age =19.48 ± 1.76 years, 63.4% women; 62.6% college freshman). Methods: University students completed a series of questionnaires. Results: COVID-19 worry significantly predicted greater sleep-related impairment (β =.27, t = 5.23, p <.001). Students who implemented unhealthy coping strategies experienced more sleep-related impairment (β =.24, t = 4.82, p <.001), whereas students employing healthy coping strategies reported less sleep-related impairment (β = −0.19, t = −3.88, p <.001). Unhealthy coping moderated relations between COVID-19 worry and sleep-related impairment, such that the relationship between COVID-19 worry and sleep-related impairment was stronger among students reporting average (at the mean) to high (+1 SD) unhealthy coping scores. Conclusions: Engaging in unhealthy coping techniques emerged as a significant risk factor for worse sleep among college students.