Exploring the Associations Between Autistic Traits, Sleep Quality, and Well-Being in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Very few studies have examined associations between autistic traits, sleep, and the well-being of university students, and the aim of the present study was to address this knowledge gap. Methods: Three hundred and eight university students carried out an online survey consisting of the C...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Devangi Lunia, Andrew P. Smith
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Brain Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/6/567
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Summary:Background: Very few studies have examined associations between autistic traits, sleep, and the well-being of university students, and the aim of the present study was to address this knowledge gap. Methods: Three hundred and eight university students carried out an online survey consisting of the Comprehensive Autistic Traits Inventory (CATI), the Short-Form Well-Being Process Questionnaire (SWBPQ), the Short-Form Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Short-Form Sleep Questionnaire. Results: Univariate analyses revealed significant correlations between the CATI subscales and the SDQ outcomes, but there were few associations between the CATI scales and the well-being outcomes, which were associated with the sleep scores and the well-being predictors. No interactions were found between the predictor variables. This profile was confirmed in the multivariate analyses, which also showed significant associations between the CATI scores and well-being predictors. Conclusions: CATI scores were associated with the outcomes of strengths and difficulties but showed few significant associations with the WPQ outcomes, which were predicted by sleep and well-being predictors. However, evidence of the indirect effects of the CATI scores on well-being came from the associations between the CATI scales and the well-being predictors.
ISSN:2076-3425