Sleep quality and mindfulness as predictors of depression, anxiety and stress

Compared to the general population, university students experience higher rates of poor sleep quality and depression, anxiety, and stress. These issues impact upon students’ psychological wellbeing, academic studies, and everyday functioning. Mindfulness has been shown to influence depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as sleep quality. The aim of the current study was to examine whether mindfulness and sleep quality predicted depression, anxiety and stress in a sample of 173 Australian university students. Participants were recruited through an online research participation pool and were aged between 18 to 57 years, including 132 females and 34 males. Participants completed an online survey comprising a series of questionnaires that measured self-reported depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, and mindfulness. Results showed that sleep quality and mindfulness significantly predicted depression, anxiety, and stress. However mindfulness alone did not predict sleep quality. The findings indicated that students with poorer sleep quality reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and students with higher levels of mindfulness reported lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The present study provides preliminary support for universities to develop and implement programs to cultivate mindfulness in university students, and health promotion and educational programs that emphasise the importance of both sleep quality and psychological wellbeing in university students.