THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLEEP BEHAVIORS AND MENTAL HEALTH IN HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Diagnoses of mental health disorders are rising in high school students. Little is known about the relationship between changes in sleep and the development of mental health issues, or whether other lifestyle factors (e.g., alcohol consumption) impact this relationship. Underage drinking is a significant public health concern with 57.8% of high school students reporting binge drinking. PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between sleep, alcohol consumption, and stress as an acute marker of mental health among high school seniors. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 50 high school seniors (76% female, 17.4 ± .5 years, Body Mass Index 23 ± 3.2 kg/m2, relative body fat 17.3 ± 12.8%). Characteristics of sleep were measured via the 19-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI). Stress was assessed using the 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS). The 10-item alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) was used to screen for alcohol consumption. Pearson correlations were used to assess the relationship between sleep behaviors, alcohol consumption, and mental health. RESULTS: Underage alcohol consumption was reported by 20% of participants, putting participants at moderate risk for an alcohol use disorder in the future. A significant correlation was observed between PSQI and SHI (r = 0.605, p < 0.001), AUDIT (r = -0.292, p = 0.04), and PSS (r = 0.366, p = 0.009). Similarly, significant correlations were noted between SHI and AUDIT score (r = 0.319, p = 0.024), and PSS (r = 0.293, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: This data suggests mental health risk factors may begin to develop during adolescence. Those with a greater number of risk factors may experience increases in adverse alcohol-related behaviors during their first two semesters of college. In addition to alcohol, sleep quality may serve as a key target for behavioral intervention efforts on college campuses. As this is part of an ongoing longitudinal study, we anticipate this trend to strengthen as sample size increases. Funding for this project was provided by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15HL159650 and the Undergraduate Research Program at Elon University.