Prevalence of Rest Intolerance and Its Associations With Mental Health and Quality of Life Among Adults in China: Cross-Sectional Study.

Authors

Fei Wang, Xuanjing Ji, Xin Guan, Ting Wang, Rui Zhong, Yibo Wu, Tingshao Zhu

Published in

JMIR public health and surveillance. Volume 12. Pages e100611. Oct 01, 2026. Epub Oct 01, 2026.

Abstract

Rest intolerance, the experience of negative emotions when attempting to rest, is an emerging public health concern, yet its population-based epidemiology remains poorly understood.
This study systematically investigated the prevalence, distribution, and health correlates of rest intolerance among adults in China, with particular focus on its manifestation in highly educated and younger populations.
We analyzed cross-sectional data from 24,405 adults in the 2024 Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR) survey. Rest intolerance (Rest Intolerance Scale-8 [RIS-8]), mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9], Generalized Anxiety Disorder-R3 [GAD-R3], and Perceived Stress Scale-4 [PSS-4]), and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L or EuroQol visual analog scale [EQ-VAS]) were assessed. Cutoffs were derived via cluster analysis and latent profile analysis, followed by regression and moderation analyses.
The overall prevalence of high rest intolerance was 14.94% (3645/24,405). Notably, rates were significantly elevated among younger adults and those with higher educational levels. Rest intolerance was significantly associated with adverse mental health outcomes (anxiety: β=0.406; depression: β=0.402; and perceived stress: β=0.440; all P<.001) and reduced quality of life (EQ-5D: β=-0.115 and EQ-VAS: β=-0.117; both P<.001). Moderation analyses further revealed that these adverse associations were stronger among highly educated and younger individuals.
Rest intolerance affects 14.94% of adults in China, with highly educated and younger populations constituting particularly high-risk groups. The condition demonstrates robust associations with adverse mental health outcomes and diminished quality of life, especially among these populations. These findings underscore the need for targeted psychological interventions and workplace health policies addressing rest-related distress in contemporary performance-oriented societies.

PMID:
42821991
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.