Association of sleep, screen use with suicidal behaviour among patients with depressive disorder: A cross-sectional study

Background: Sleep disturbances and suicidal behaviour remain common in depression. Emerging evidence suggests a role of screen use and sleep disruption. However, Indian literature is limited. Aim: To examine the association between sleep, screen use with suicidal behaviour in depression. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 150 individuals with depressive disorder were enrolled, 75 each with and without suicidal behaviour. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Screen Time Questionnaire were used to measure depression severity, suicidal behaviour, sleep quality, and screen use, respectively. Results: Among 150 participants, 57.3% were female. Suicidal behaviour was associated with being unmarried, employed, longer duration of illness, earlier age of onset, greater depression severity, poor sleep quality, and higher screen time. Conclusion: Suicidal behaviour was associated with increased screen time and poor sleep quality underscoring the need for preventive strategies targeting sleep hygiene, and interventions to reduce screen time.