Interoceptive sensibility: links with insomnia symptoms, anxiety, and depression in the general population.

BACKGROUND

Diurnal and nocturnal symptoms of insomnia are strongly associated with anxiety and depression. Interoception provides a new reading window for understanding the development and maintenance of psychopathology and sleep disorders. While previous studies have provided preliminary insights into the relationships between depression, anxiety, insomnia, and interoceptive sensibility, to our knowledge, no study has comprehensively examined these relationships.

METHODS

We used mediation and network analyses to investigate the associations between interoceptive sensibility, diurnal and nocturnal symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, and depression in a sample of 542 individuals from the general population. The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, the Sleep Condition Indicator, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used for the assessment.

RESULTS

The results showed that the dimensions "trust" and "attention regulation" of interoceptive sensibility are central nodes in the interrelationship network. The "trust" dimension is strongly and negatively related to depression and anxiety. Nocturnal symptoms are more strongly related to anxiety, and diurnal symptoms are more strongly related to depression. Mediation analyses highlight the predominant mediating role of the "trust" dimension in the relationships between insomnia symptoms and clinical variables.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that interoceptive sensibility plays a critical role in bridging the relationship between both nocturnal and diurnal insomnia symptoms and anxiety-depressive symptomatology.