Associations between COVID-19 sleep patterns, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and academic engagement: a latent profile analysis

J Am Coll Health. 2025 Mar;73(3):1168-1172. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2239361. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had important implications for college students' socioemotional and academic well-being. Sleep problems were common during this time, which may have further impacted well-being. Methods: Five hundred and fifty-two college students (Mage = 19.81; 58% female; 42% White) completed a survey in Fall 2021 reflecting on behaviors/emotions (sleep, depressive symptoms, loneliness, academic engagement) experienced during the first peak of COVID-19 and over the past month. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify subgroups of sleepers during peak-COVID in relation to well-being during and after the initial peak. Results: Four sleep profiles were identified: Optimal (49%), High Latency/Medicated (23%), Average/Fair (16%), Low-Duration (12%). During peak-COVID, depression and loneliness were highest in High Latency/Medicated and Low-Duration subgroups; academic engagement was highest for Optimal sleepers. Following peak-COVID, academic engagement was highest for Average/Fair sleepers. Conclusions: Findings highlight heterogeneity in students' sleep patterns during the initial peak of COVID-19 and their relation to well-being during and post-peak-pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; College students; latent profile analysis; mental health; sleep; well-being.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / psychology
  • Depression* / epidemiology
  • Depression* / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Loneliness* / psychology
  • Male
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Sleep
  • Sleep Wake Disorders* / epidemiology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders* / psychology
  • Students* / psychology
  • Students* / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities
  • Young Adult