Impact of insomnia on mental status among chronic disease patients during Covid-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) 2019 pandemic had a serious impact on the mental health of individuals globally. A lack of psychological well-being on the part of individuals with chronic diseases might increase the risk of developing symptoms such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of insomnia, depression, and anxiety among patients with chronic disease during the Covid-19 pandemic in Oman. METHODS: This is a web-based cross-sectional study conducted between June 2021 and September 2021. Insomnia was assessed by using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), while depression and anxiety were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: Of the 922 chronic disease patients who participated, 77% (n = 710) reported insomnia, while the mean score for the ISI was11.38 (SD 5.82). Depression and anxiety were prevalent among the participants with 47% and 63% respectively. The participants’ mean with regard to the sleep duration items was 7.04 (SD = 1.59) hours per night, whereas the mean in terms of sleep latency was 38.18 minutes (SD = 31.81). Logistic regression analysis revealed that insomnia was positively associated with depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that chronic disease patients had a high prevalence of insomnia during the Covid-19 pandemic. Psychological support is recommended in order to help such patients reduce the level of insomnia. Furthermore, a routine assessment of levels of insomnia, depression and anxiety is essential, in order to help identify appropriate intervention and management measures.