Stressors met by quarantined French students during the covid-19 pandemic. Their links with depression and sleep disorders

Background: Quarantine during the covid-19 pandemic has been shown to be associated with poor psychological health in students. However, no study has systematically examined the stressors perceived by students during this quarantine and their link with psychological health. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to examine the stressors perceived by French students during the Covid-19 quarantine and their links with students' psychological health, i.e., depression and sleep disorders. Methods: First, based on the existing literature and interviews with students, we designed a 27-item scale. Then a sample of 2536 French students completed a questionnaire containing the 27 items along with two measures: the CES-D to measure depression and the Jenkins Sleep Scale to assess sleep disorders. Results: The statistical analyses (EFA and CFA) revealed six factors that were correlated with depression and/or sleep disorders. However, regression analyses revealed that among them, ``inactivity and idleness'' and ``academic worries'' were the most associated with depression and sleep disorders. To a lesser extent, ``Precariousness'', ``Lack of trust in information'' and ``Missing the people one care's about'' but not ``fear of the virus'', were also associated with depression and/or sleep disorders. Limitations: The cross-sectional nature of our data limits the extent to which causal inferences can be made. All the data in this study was collected through online questionnaire. Conclusion: Our results highlight the stressors most strongly associated with depression and sleep disorders, that is those that must be tackled as a priority.