These previous studies of relating insomnia symptoms and mental health used varying degrees of specificity in defining insomnia: from an affirmative answer to a lifetime history of insomnia symptoms, to a cutoff score on a symptom questionnaire, which introduces considerable variance and makes it more difficult to compare results to more recent studies that use more specific research or quantitative diagnostic criteria for insomnia (Edinger et al., 2004; Lichstein, Durrence, Taylor, Bush, & Riedel, 2003). Further, they often focused only on specific disorders (e.g., depression and suicidality), which limits our breadth of knowledge. Thus, data reported to date are likely not our best indicators of the true strength of the relationship between insomnia and a wide range of mental health symptomatology.
This study examines the relationship between insomnia symptoms and a range of mental health symptoms in young adults, controlling confounding comorbid health problems. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that PWIS in this age group would have higher levels of mental health symptomatology than people without insomnia symptoms (PWOIS).