COVID-19 related distress and sleep health among trauma-exposed South Asians: Does generational status matter?

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial changes in individual and socio-economic factors that may negatively impact sleep health. We examined associations between COVID-19 related distress and sleep among trauma-exposed South Asian adults in the United States. Since a health advantage among foreign-born individuals has been previously noted in the literature (the 'immigrant paradox'), we also explored if generational status (number of generations one's family has been in the U.S.) moderated associations between COVID-19 related distress and sleep health. Participants were 196 trauma-exposed South Asian adults residing in the U.S. (54% male, 63% U.S.-born citizens, average age = 34.51 years), who completed measures of generational status, COVID-19 related distress, trauma exposure, sleep-related impairment (SRI), and sleep disturbances. Greater COVID-19 distress was associated with more sleep disturbances (b = 0.15, p < 0.001) and SRI (b = 0.24, p < 0.001). Generational status was not associated with sleep, nor did it modify associations between COVID-19 distress and sleep. Findings highlight the potential importance of developing interventions to reduce stress and sleep difficulties during the pandemic. Our results did not support the immigration paradox. Future studies are needed to better understand the role of generational status on sleep health across immigrant subgroups.