Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Sleep problems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic commonly affected general populations. Data on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality in Saudi Arabia are scarce. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate sleep quality and assess the psychological burden of the pandemic in COVID-19 patients and the general population.METHODS: This was a multicenter, observational, cross-sectional survey. Participants with COVID-19 were recruited from different health-care centers in the western region during the lockdown period from May 13, 2020 to September 2, 2020. All participants completed a validated online survey. The control group comprised individuals from the general public who responded to the online survey through social media. Demographic data, COVID-19 status, and history of chronic diseases were collected. Sleep quality, depression, and insomnia were assessed using validated questionnaires.Results: In total, 1091 participants were surveyed and 643 (58.9%) were positive for COVID-19. Poor sleep quality was reported in 66.1% of COVID-19 patients (mean score & PLUSMN; standard deviation [SD] 6.9 & PLUSMN; 4.0) and 72.8% of controls (mean score & PLUSMN; SD 7.6 & PLUSMN; 4.3). Insomnia affected 50.5% of COVID-19 patients (mean score & PLUSMN; SD 6.5 & PLUSMN; 5.5) and 58.5% of controls (mean score & PLUSMN; SD 7.6 & PLUSMN; 5.5). Depression was diagnosed in 39.5% of COVID-19 patients (mean score & PLUSMN; SD 4.7 & PLUSMN; 4.6) and 70.1% of controls (mean score & PLUSMN; SD 8.9 & PLUSMN; 6.7).CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on mental health and sleep quality in both COVID-19 patients and the general population but more pronounced in the general population.