Short Sleep Duration in Prevalent and Persistent Psychological Distress in Young Adults: The DRIVE Study

• Published in: Sleep (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2010-09, Vol.33 (9), p.1139-1145
• Main Authors: GLOZIER, Nicholas, MARTINIUK, Alexandra, PATTON, George, IVERS, Rebecca, QIANG LI, HICKIE, Ian, SENSERRICK, Teresa, WOODWARD, Mark, NORTON, Robyn, STEVENSON, Mark
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Factors; Australia; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cohort Studies; Dyssomnias - complications; Dyssomnias - psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Short Sleep Duration and Psychological Distress in Young Adults; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0161-8105; 1550-9109
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/33.9.1139

Young people are sleeping less. Short sleep duration has a range of negative consequences including a hypothesized link with psychological distress, which has yet to be studied Prospective cohort study Community-based sample from Australia Twenty thousand (20,822) young adults (aged 17-24) identified through the state vehicle licensing authority. A random sample (n = 5000) was approached for follow-up 12-18 months later, with 2837 providing full data. Psychological distress, determined by a Kessler 10 score > 21, at baseline; and as both onset and persistence of distress at follow-up. Shorter sleep duration was linearly associated with prevalent psychological distress: relative risk (RR) 1.14 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.15). Only the very short (< 5 h) sleepers among those not distressed at baseline had an increased risk for onset of psychological distress (RR 3.25 [95% CI 1.84, 5.75]). Of 945 cohort participants reporting psychological distress at baseline, 419 (44%) were distressed at follow-up. Each hour less of sleep increased the risk of psychological distress persisting after adjustment for potential confounding variables: RR 1.05 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.10). Long sleep duration showed no association with distress at any time point. Self-reported shorter sleep duration is linearly associated with prevalent and persistent psychological distress in young adults. In contrast, only the very short sleepers had a raised risk of new onset of distress. Different approaches to sleep duration measurement yield different results and should guide any interventions to improve subjective sleep duration in young adults.