The impact of acute COVID-19 symptoms on insomnia: A longitudinal study among medical students, 2025, Zhu et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

The impact of acute COVID-19 symptoms on insomnia: A longitudinal study among medical students

Spoiler: Authors

Zhu; Qin; Lu; Yu; Liu; Zhu; Su; Wang

OBJECTIVE
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted global mental health. Medical students, already vulnerable to high stress, experience heightened psychological distress. This study aimed to investigate the association between acute COVID-19 infection and the development of psychological symptoms in medical students, exploring the role of specific COVID-19 symptoms and lifestyle factors.

METHODS
A longitudinal study of 2359 medical students assessed psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, insomnia) before and after COVID-19 infection. Logistic regression models, adjusted for confounders, examined the relationship between COVID-19 status (with or without infection), and the onset of psychological symptoms. The study also explored acute COVID-19 symptoms and lifestyle factors associated with psychological symptoms in the COVID-19 infected (COVID+) group.

FINDINGS
The COVID + group exhibited significantly greater increases in depression and insomnia compared to non-infected group. COVID-19 infection was significantly associated with the onset of insomnia post-infection (OR [95 % CI] 1.83 [1.05–3.21]). Moderate to severe acute symptoms, including sleep disturbances (2.20 [1.17–4.14]), decreased attention/memory (2.47 [1.02–6.00]), and breathlessness (2.05 [1.08–3.85]), were identified as risk factors for onset of insomnia. Regular exercise was found to be negatively associated with the onset of insomnia (0.54 [0.33–0.88]).

CONCLUSION
Early intervention targeting these acute-phase risk symptoms is crucial for preventing long-term insomnia. Regular exercise is effective in preventing the development of insomnia in medical students following COVID-19 infection. These findings will assist in formulating targeted interventions to address recurrent infections in the post-pandemic era.

Link | Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health | Open Access

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, college students have faced a surge in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Especially medical students, given their occupational duties and academic obligations, exhibit heightened susceptibility to virus exposure, thereby experiencing increased depression, anxiety, and insomnia. These mental health challenges also significantly affect academic performance, well-being, and future career prospects […], making it necessary to monitor changes in psychological symptoms among this vulnerable population.

Given the unique trajectory of the pandemic in China, the prolonged restrictions and life disruption were followed by a surge in infections after the nationwide lockdown was lifted in December 2022. The pandemic represents a substantial biopsychosocial stressor, which makes it an ideal context for investigating the psychological impact of COVID-19.

Persistence of sleep problems have been observed even two years post-COVID-19 infection in general population

(Two whole years! Crikey.)

In the post-pandemic era, recurrent and persistent COVID-19 infections are inevitable. Early intervention targeting theses risk acute-phase symptoms is essential for preventing long-term insomnia. Additionally, college administrators should advocate for and encourage students to develop regular exercise habits, as this is an effective method for preventing insomnia.