Abstract:

To investigate the relationship between Anxiety Sensitivity（AS）and sleep quality and its internal mechanism, the authors firstly revised the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (3rd ed.) for Chinese college students (ASI-3-C) and then used ASI-3-C, Anxiety Sensitivity Questionnaire (ASQ) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to measure 1176 secondary school students and 607 college students. Means Comparing showed that the sleep quality of the higher AS group was worse than the lower AS group in both kinds of samples (6.91± 3.18 VS 4.79 ±2.99, t=5.62, p<0.001; 5.60± 5.87 VS 3.60 ±1.85, t=9.15, p<0.001). Furthermore, Correlation Analysis indicated that the total scores of AS and its factors (fear of mental incapacitation, fear of social evaluation and physiological arousal) significantly correlated with the total scores of PSQI in secondary school students, and their correlation coefficients were respectively 0.31, 0.23, 0.24, and 0.23 (ESs ranging from 0.23～0.32). These significant correlations also appeared in the college students, and the correlation coefficients were respectively 0.43，0.38，0.38，and 0.31 (ESs ranging from 0.32～0.46). The average effect sizes of these correlations between secondary school students and college students were respectively 0.39, 0.32, 0.32, and 0.28 (>0.25)，which indicated that the correlations had realistic significance. Path Analysis and Multiple Group Comparison based on Structural Equation Model (SEM) were used to investigate the predictive effect of AS on sleep quality in young students. The results showed that AS could positively predict PSQI in both kinds of samples, or, PSQI would be worse when AS level got higher(?=0.35，0.78；SE=0.07，0.11，ps<0.001）. The results also showed that pattern model of relationship between AS and sleep quality was similar in both age group samples, while both their factor loading invariance and the loadings in the path from AS to sleep quality were significantly different(?=0.24, 0.62；SE=0.04, 0.07, ps<0.001). The same results appeared in higher AS group and lower AS group of both secondary school students and college students. The pattern model of relationship between AS and sleep quality in higher AS group was as same as that in lower AS group, while both their factor loading invariance and the loadings in the path from AS to sleep quality were significantly different. In lower AS group students, AS had a non-significant prediction effect on PSQI, nevertheless, in higher AS group students, AS had a significantly positive prediction effect on PSQI. The study showed that it was possible that AS amplified the feelings and responses of negative emotions by virtue of the sensitive traits and automatic cognitive appraisal, and thereby it influenced the sleep quality ultimately. Anxiety sensitivity was an inner inducing factor of anxiety disorder and an inner causing factor of sleep problem as well. In this study, we used several statistic techniques such as Effect Size Analysis, Path Analysis and Multiple Group Comparison and so on, which filled the data gap of relationship between sleep and AS in young students and furthermore made its internal mechanism clear.

Key words: Anxiety Sensitivity, young students, Sleep Quality, Path Analysis, Structural Equation Model(SEM)

摘要：

采用中学生、大学生焦虑敏感问卷和匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表(PSQI)，分别对1011名中学生和607名大学生进行调查。结果显示高焦虑敏感学生的PSQI总分显著高于低焦虑敏感学生，焦虑敏感及其三个因子与PSQI的相关都是中效应，焦虑敏感对青少年学生睡眠质量指数具有显著的正向预测作用，焦虑敏感水平越高，其睡眠质量越差。焦虑敏感可能以应激事件和健康问题作为致敏源，以焦虑等负性情绪作为敏感内容，在消极自动认知觉察与思维的介入下，进一步放大对有关负性情绪的感受与体验，从而影响青少年学生的睡眠质量。

关键词: 焦虑敏感, 青少年学生, 睡眠质量, 路径分析, 结构方程模型