The Interplay between Binge Watching and Suicide Risk: Daytime Sleepiness and Maladaptive Daydreaming as Mediators

Binge watching, which entails consecutively viewing numerous episodes of a TV series or a selection of movies over an extended timeframe, often without pause, is notably widespread among young adults skilled in digital media usage. Nevertheless, this escalating habit can lead to problematic and addictive behavior, with potential associations including disruptions in sleep patterns, dreaming, and an elevated risk of suicide. The primary objective of this research was to assess whether daytime sleepiness and maladaptive daydreaming may impact the connection between binge watching and suicide risk and whether the hypothesized model is gender invariant. Self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 1012 emerging adults (50% girls) aged 18–25 (M = 21.73, SD = 2.28). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables, and multiple-group path analysis (MGPA) were conducted. All direct and indirect paths were found to be statistically significant, and gender was found to be invariant. Specifically, the findings highlighted that higher binge watching, coupled with daytime sleepiness and maladaptive daydreaming, heightened suicide risk in both genders. Binge watching and sleep and dream issues are important factors to consider in the assessment of suicide risk, particularly among emerging adults who are already at a higher risk. It is thus important to prioritize the promotion of healthy media habits.