Benefits of sleep (e.g., mental health) and detrimental effects of sleep-loss (e.g., impaired academic performance) have been extensively researched and implications are broad. A considerable...Show moreBenefits of sleep (e.g., mental health) and detrimental effects of sleep-loss (e.g., impaired academic performance) have been extensively researched and implications are broad. A considerable amount of research on the relations between perfectionism and sleep exists, where perfectionism negatively affects sleep quality. Mediators, primarily anxiety, affecting sleep quality have been investigated as well. However, within the bounds of conducted literature search, research with a mediatory model of maladaptive repetitive thinking (MRT) on perfectionism and sleep quality in a student population seems to require further exploration. Therefore, current work investigated whether MRT (i.e., worry and rumination) mediates the relationship between perfectionism and sleep quality. Data was analyzed from an overarching main study which, through convenience sampling, recruited 69 healthy university students who filled in online questionnaires (e.g., assessing rumination and sleep quality). In line with previous research, results showed that increased perfectionism was related to worse sleep quality and increased maladaptive repetitive thinking. Furthermore, increases in maladaptive repetitive thinking was related to worse sleep quality. However, the proposed mediation was found to be nonsignificant. Several limitations were at play (e.g., self-report measurements), thus it is recommended to replicate the current work and minimize these limitations. As sleep has a wide array of implications on healthy overall functioning it is recommended to explore the triad further, paving the way to innovations to improve sleep quality and consequently healthy functioning in the student population.Show less
To date, a growing body of literature studies maladaptive repetitive thinking; an unproductive emotion regulation strategy, where a person engages in certain negative thoughts, that are maintained...Show moreTo date, a growing body of literature studies maladaptive repetitive thinking; an unproductive emotion regulation strategy, where a person engages in certain negative thoughts, that are maintained on a conscious state for a prolonged time period. Maladaptive repetitive thinking consists of different components, like worry and rumination. Researchers argue whether the two are actually distinct cognitive processes. Limited bibliography examined the relationship between maladaptive repetitive thinking and stress, which is why this study addresses this topic. Specifically, it investigates whether higher worry and rumination levels predict higher academic and general stress levels of undergraduate students, during an exam and a non-exam week. In addition, it is hypothesized that students will report higher academic and general stress levels during the exam week compared to the non-exam week. Lastly, we anticipate worry to be highly associated with rumination. Forty students during the non-exam week and twenty-eight during the exam week responded to the completion of self-report questionnaires, regarding worry, rumination, academic, and general stress. With the exception of general stress during the non-exam week, only increased rumination predicted increased levels of academic and general stress, during both weeks. Students reported higher general stress levels during the non-exam week compared to the exam week, whereas academic stress levels did not differ between the two weeks. As expected, worry highly correlated with rumination during both academic weeks, building on the literature in favor of this relationship. Our findings claim that, possibly, rumination is a stronger predictor of academic and general stress, compared to worry. Further exploration on how maladaptive repetitive thinking potentially affects the stress levels of students during different academic periods is needed. Limitations of the study are addressed and future directions are suggested.Show less
Challenges in stress management, effective attention direction, and striving for adequate sleep are reflected in a student’s life and academic performance. According to recent research, decreased...Show moreChallenges in stress management, effective attention direction, and striving for adequate sleep are reflected in a student’s life and academic performance. According to recent research, decreased attentional control is related to an increased tendency to engage in maladaptive repetitive thinking (RT) i.e., rumination and worry, which has been considered as a threat to sleep quality. Furthermore, an increase in academic stress has been found to impair students' sleep quality. Using moderation analysis, the current study investigated whether maladaptive RT strengthened the relationship between academic stress and sleep quality. We used linear regression analysis (LRA) to investigate the relationship between attentional control and maladaptive RT. A number of self- report questionnaires were used in this cross-sectional study to measure attentional control, sleep quality, academic stress, worry, and rumination. The final sample consisted of 50 Leiden University students aged 17-30 years. The results of the simple LRA showed that poor attentional control is related to a higher tendency of maladaptive RT, such as rumination and worry. The result of the moderation analysis revealed that neither rumination (b = -.001, t = -0.90, p = .930) nor worry (b = - .003, t = -0.73, p = .471) strengthened the relationship between increased academic stress and poor sleep quality. Despite its limitations, the study serves as a preliminary study into the role of rumination and worry in the relationship between academic stress and sleep quality and provides methodological suggestions for future research to yield more reliable results.Show less
The present study investigated the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on anxiety, mindfulness and worry compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU), and examined whether worry mediates...Show moreThe present study investigated the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on anxiety, mindfulness and worry compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU), and examined whether worry mediates the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety in 103 adults with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders. Within a RCT, participants were randomised to receive either MBCT or TAU over 8 weeks. Subjects completed online questionnaires assessing demographics, mindfulness (Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI, Fear Questionnaire; FQ) at baseline, midterm, post-test and follow-up. The aims were investigated using baseline and post-test data for analysis. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that MBCT significantly reduced worry and anxiety measured by the FQ, increased mindfulness, and that it was more effective in reaching these outcomes than TAU. Scores on anxiety measured by the BAI also improved significantly, however, results indicated no difference between groups. Mediation analyses identified a mediating role of worry between mindfulness and anxiety if anxiety was measured by the FQ, but not if it was measured by the BAI. These results demonstrate a superiority in treatment effectiveness of MBCT over TAU, next to establishing MBCT’s effectiveness for patients with anxiety disorders who did not respond to their first treatment. The mixed findings on anxiety suggest that mindfulness may be more relevant to symptoms of behavioural avoidance than to somatic symptoms of anxiety, emphasising a need for further investigation. The present results contribute meaningfully to available literature in the field, promoting treatment optimisation in the long-term.Show less
