Perceived Restedness and Mental Health Among Emerging Adults in College: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Abstract

This study examined associations of perceived restedness, sleep duration, and emotion regulation difficulties with mental health outcomes among university students. Data from 1192 Canadian college students were analyzed using multiple regression models. Mental health outcomes included distress (DASS), perceived stress (PSS), anxiety (GAD), and depression (PHQ), alongside indicators of emotion regulation, physical activity, mindfulness, and social support. Hierarchical models assessed the incremental value of these predictors. Across models, perceived restedness was consistently associated with better mental health after accounting for sleep duration and other covariates, whereas sleep duration showed less consistent associations across outcomes. Difficulties in emotion regulation were the strongest and most consistent correlates across outcomes, while physical activity and mindfulness showed inconsistent effects once other variables were considered. Adding health behavior variables improved model performance, whereas sociodemographic factors contributed little additional explanatory value. Interaction effects were generally small and inconsistent, although students who felt somewhat rested appeared to benefit more from stronger social support. These findings suggest perceived restedness may serve as a practical and efficient indicator of mental health screening, but results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating given measurement asymmetry, self-report design, and pandemic-era data.