0919 A Moderated Mediation Model of Experiential Avoidance, Specific Social Fears, Sleep Quality, and Sex

• Published in: Sleep (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2019-04, Vol.42 (Supplement_1), p.A369-A369
• Main Authors: Lahar, Kari I, Markarian, Shaunt A, Pickett, Scott M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Avoidance behavior; Gender differences; Sleep
• ISSN: 0161-8105; 1550-9109
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsz067.917

Introduction Previous research suggests that social anxiety symptoms are related to sleep difficulties; however, the mechanism underlying this relation is not understood. While there is evidence to suggest experiential avoidance (EA) is central to social anxiety and insomnia disorders, EA has not been examined in the relation to social anxiety and sleep difficulties. Further, there is also limited research suggesting sex differences in sleep complaints are impacted by sex differences in coping with specific social fears. The current study examined sex as a moderator of the indirect effect of EA on sleep quality (SQ) through specific social fears. Methods Data were collected from a sample of 401 students from a large Midwestern University. Sex was assessed with a binary demographic question and EA, specific social fears, and SQ were assessed using validated measures. Results A moderated mediation model analysis was conducted using the PROCESS Macro for SPSS. In the analysis, EA was entered as the independent variable, SQ as the dependent variable, specific social fears was entered as the mediator, and sex was entered as the moderator. Results indicated a significant mediated moderation effect (B = .076; BootLLCI = .036, BootULCI= .131) whereby EA was indirectly related to SQ through specific social fears and sex moderated the effect of specific social fears on SQ. Specifically, there was a significant conditional indirect effect of EA on SQ via specific social fears for males (B = -.041, BootLLCI = -.093, BootULCI= -.006) and females (B = .035, BootLLCI = .018, BootULCI= .055). Conclusion The results indicate that the relationship between EA and SQ was mediated by specific social fears. Further, sex moderated the relationship between specific social fears and SQ; However, there is likely an additional variable leading sex to be a moderator between specific social fears and SQ. It is possible that pre-sleep arousal, could be the link between specific social fears and SQ, which is an area for future research. Support (If Any)