The Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Insomnia in College Students in Qinghai Province: The Mediating Effect of Rumination

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> This study investigates the mediating effect of rumination on the associations between depressive symptoms and insomnia. <b>Methods:</b> This is a cross-sectional study. Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Ruminant Response Scale (RRS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were determined in 12,178 college students in Qinghai province by a questionnaire network platform. <b>Results:</b> The prevalence of insomnia was 38.6% in the participants. Insomnia symptoms [interquartile range: 6 (3, 9)], depressive symptoms [interquartile range: 5 (1, 9)], and rumination [interquartile range: 22 (20, 26)] were positively correlated (<i>r</i> = 0.25-0.46, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Mediation effect analysis showed that the depressive symptoms affected insomnia directly and indirectly. The direct effect and the indirect effect through rumination account for 92.4 and 7.6% of the total effect, respectively. <b>Conclusion:</b> The study shows that insomnia, depressive symptoms, and rumination are related constructs in college students in Qinghai province. It demonstrates the direct effects and the rumination-mediated indirect effects between depressive symptoms and insomnia; the direct effects seem to be dominant.