大學生時型及社會時差對躁鬱風險之影響

Background: Undergraduates participate in many activities that lead to unstable chronotypes or an increase in the night-type chronotype, which can cause social jetlag and physical and psychological problems. Purpose: To investigate the effects of chronotypes and social jetlag on the risk of hypomania and depression among undergraduates. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 110 undergraduates from a college in southern Taiwan through convenience sampling. Their demographics were collected, and the Chinese versions of the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Hypomania Check List-32items, and Beck Depression Inventory-II were all used to assess students. Results: We observed a significant positive correlation between chronotype and social jetlag and a moderate positive correlation between sleep delay on a school night and the risk of depression. In addition, social jetlag was a predictor of the risk of depression, and sleep duration (on both weekdays and weekends) may predict the risk of hypomania. Conclusion/Implications for Practice: The chronotype of the college students in our cohort was biased toward the night type, and considerable social jetlag was noted among them. Social jetlag and sleep were correlated with the risks of hypomania and depression. These findings suggest that college students should develop stable sleep cycles and rhythms to avoid social jetlag and improve their emotional health, which can subsequently prevent mental illnesses.