Sleep and Mood Disturbances during the COVID-19 Outbreak in an Urban Chinese Population in Hong Kong: A Longitudinal Study of the Second and Third Waves of the Outbreak

• Main Authors: Chun Sing Lam, Branda Yee-Man Yu, Denise Shuk Ting Cheung, Teris Cheung, Simon Ching Lam, Ka-Fai Chung, Fiona Yan-Yee Ho, Wing-Fai Yeung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: insomnia; pandemic; cohort; mental health; web-based
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8444
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

In response to the worsening situation of the COVID pandemic, this follow-up study aimed to assess the impact of the “third wave” of the outbreak on sleep and mood disturbances among Hong Kong citizens. A total of 339 respondents included in our last study during the second wave (4–11 August 2020) joined this survey (response rate = 51.1%). The questionnaire collected data on sleep conditions, mood, stress, and risk perception. The sleep quality and mood status were assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The weighted prevalence of insomnia, anxiety, and depression was 33.6%, 15.3%, and 22.0%, respectively. Compared with the last survey, five out of six sleep parameters significantly worsened despite the lack of difference in the ISI score. The GAD-7 score was significantly lower. Old-aged adults were less likely to maintain good sleep quality compared with middle-aged adults (adjusted OR = 4.03, 95% CI: 1.04–15.73). Respondents without psychiatric disorder were more likely to be anxiety-free across the two time points (adjusted OR = 7.12, 95% CI: 1.33–38.03). One-third of Hong Kong people reported poor sleeping quality in the third wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. Policy-makers need to propose a contingent plan to allocate mental health resources to vulnerable subpopulations.