The Impact of Depression on Bedtime Procrastination in High School Students in Pandemic era: The Mediating Roles of Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability

Abstract

Background Bedtime procrastination is a common sleep problem that adolescents encounter. This study aimed to investigate the association between bedtime procrastination and depression in Korean high schoolers, while accounting for possible mediators including viral anxiety, resilience, and personality traits. Method A total of 300 high school students participated in the study. An online survey was conducted from October 18 to 24, 2021. The survey included the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items, Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items, Connor Davidson Resilience Scale 2-items, and Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Results Bedtime procrastination was positively associated with depression (r = 0.31, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with resilience (r = -0.14, p = 0.020), extraversion (r = -0.14, p = 0.015), conscientiousness (r = -0.33, p < 0.001), and emotional stability (r = -0.30, p < 0.001). Linear regression revealed that higher levels of bedtime procrastination were significantly associated with increased depression (beta = 0.21, p < 0.001) and personality traits such as lower conscientiousness (beta = -0.22, p < 0.001) and lower emotional stability (beta = -0.14, p = 0.022). Mediation analysis showed that depression had a direct effect on bedtime procrastination, and depression had an indirect effect on bedtime procrastination that was partially mediated by conscientiousness or emotional stability. Conclusion In Korean high school students, more bedtime procrastination shows a significant association with higher levels of depression, which is in part mediated by personality traits.