Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.comBYLINE: Laurel Hamers, University Communications
Having a #sleepdisorder is linked to an increased risk of #suicidalideation in #kids, #teens and young #adults, University of Oregon research finds.
The study, co-led by Melynda Casement, associate professor of #psychology at the University of Oregon, was published June 16 in the journal Sleep Health.
#Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for #teenagers and young #adults. Roughly one in five #highschool #students has seriously considered #suicide, according to the #NationalAllianceonMentalIllness.
Casement and her collaborator Jason Carbone of Wayne State University looked at emergency department records for a nationally representative sample of #youth ages 6 to 24. #Youth who had a #sleepdisorder were three times more likely to present to an emergency department with #suicidalthoughts than #youth who did not, the researchers found.
The prevalence of diagnosed #sleepdisorders in the #emergencyroom data sample was much lower than would be expected in the general population — just 0.38%, Casement noted. That suggest #sleepdisorders are underdiagnosed in emergency medicine.
The study found a correlation between #sleep health and #suicidalthoughts, not a causal link. But taken together with other research, the results suggest that #sleepdisorders could be a risk factor for #suicidalideation, even accounting for other mood and #substanceusedisorders, according to Casement.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
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“People so often think of #sleepdisorders as being a symptom of other #mentalhealthproblems like #depression or #anxiety,” Casement said. “But sleep problems can also contribute to #anxiety, #mooddisorders, and #suiciderisk.”
Screening #youth for #sleepdisorders when they show up in the ER could also provide an indication of #suiciderisk.
“Being aware of the impact of #sleep disruption gives us an avenue to try to address sleep issues as well as downstream consequences,” Casement said. #Suicide is still stigmatized in many communities; sleep is less so. Identifying and treating #sleepdisorders could improve #mentalhealth and reduce #suiciderisk even if people aren’t comfortable opening up about their #mentalhealthchallenges.
“It gives us a wider range of inroads to tackle #suicidalideation and #mentalhealth — you can address the sleep problem and have good effects on mood and #anxiety,” Casement said.
Casement recently launched a sleep lab on the UO campus, where her team is studying whether improving sleep quality can boost #mentalhealth in #teens and young #adults. Information about ongoing studies is available at https://sleepstudy.uoregon.edu.
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com https://standingabovethecrowd.com/2023/06/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-sleepdisorders-associated-with-suicidalthoughts-in-youth/
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