title: Evaluation of severe insomnia in the general population: results of a European multinational survey.
abstract: The epidemiology of severe insomnia and its effect on quality of life and healthcare consumption was assessed in a survey of the general population of five northern European countries. Applying established consumer sampling techniques, insomnia sufferers were selected from the general population using a questionnaire, conducted by face-to-face interview, and severity of insomnia was ranked (severe, mild/moderate, no sleep complaint) using a specific algorithm. Population samples were matched according to case control methodology for age, gender and geographical region. A second questionnaire gathered information on sleep problems, quality of life (SF-36 scores) and healthcare consumption. The prevalence of severe insomnia ranged from 4% to 22%, was higher in females than in males, but did not increase significantly with age. Patients with severe insomnia had been experiencing sleeping problems for a median of 2-6 years. In all countries, insomnia had a negative impact on quality of life, and the degree of impairment in quality of life was directly related to the severity of insomnia. Individuals with severe insomnia also showed a higher level of healthcare consumption. Despite this, severe insomnia did not appear to feature prominently in the doctor-patient relationship.
authors.affiliation: helene.chevalier@sofres.worldnet.fr
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Los
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boichut
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nutt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hajak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hetta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crowe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology