Abstract
In the current study, a comparison of sleep-wake disorders among patients of generalized anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders was made. It also explored the association of correlates including marital status, gender, and physical activity on study variables. A quantitative cross-sectional survey research design was used for the collection of the data from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Mansehra, and Haripur through a purposive sampling technique. The sample of the study comprised 385 psychiatric patients with ages ranging from 21 to 60 years. The sample data was collected from outpatients seeking treatment from different hospitals, and psychiatric and rehabilitation centers using two sets of questionnaires one demographic information sheet and a global sleep assessment questionnaire (GSAQ-11) developed by Roth et al., (2002). The outcomes of the study revealed high co-occurrence and significant association of specific sleep-wake disorders among patients of depression, generalized anxiety, and bipolar disorders. Insomnia was the most co-occurring disorder followed by restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movements in sleep, obstructive sleep apnea, and parasomnias respectively. Findings indicated a higher co-occurrence of sleep-wake disorders in females as compared to male counterparts, in married individuals as compared to unmarried, and in individuals with lower physical activity as compared to individuals with higher physical activity. These findings will provide clinicians insights into the early detection and use of interventions for sleep problems among psychiatric patients, which would improve their quality of life.