Loneliness, depression and sleep quality among the type 2 diabetic patients during COVID-19 local epidemic: A mediation analysis.
Yidan Lu, Mengzhao Gao, Lin Zhang and 7 others
PMID 37394712WHAT IT FOUND
In 341 patients with type 2 diabetes surveyed in a hospital, loneliness was linked to more depression, and depression was linked to poorer sleep.
Loneliness was not directly linked to sleep; it was linked to sleep through depression.
Key findings
01Loneliness and depression were positively correlated (r = 0.506), and both were positively correlated with PSQI sleep scores (r = 0.184 and r = 0.372).
02In the model, loneliness was linked to depression (β = 0.59), depression was linked to higher PSQI sleep scores (β = 0.56), and loneliness was linked to PSQI indirectly through depression (indirect β = 0.33).
03The model explained 34.80% of depression scores and 23.70% of sleep quality scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional survey at one hospital with convenience sampling, so it can show links but not prove that loneliness or depression cause poor sleep. People with diagnosed mental disorders, severe recent diabetic complications, and major organ abnormalities were excluded, so the results may not apply to patients with those conditions. The model explained only 23.70% of sleep quality scores, so other factors likely matter. The original model fit was not satisfactory and was modified by adding a residual path, so the final paths should be read cautiously. Loneliness, depression and sleep were measured by questionnaires, and some older patients needed help understanding abstract items, so the scores may not fully capture what patients experienced.
Declared interests
Funded by the Support Program for Outstanding Young Talents from the Universities and Colleges of Anhui Province for Lin Zhang (gxyqZD2021118). The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reducing loneliness will improve sleep. The study measured variables at one time and did not test any intervention, and the model explained only 23.70% of sleep quality scores.