Psychiatric symptoms in children with insomnia referred to a pediatric sleep medicine center.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the frequency and nature of clinical and psychiatric symptoms in children referred to a pediatric sleep center for evaluation of insomnia.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review of all children referred to the pediatric sleep medicine was conducted. Children presenting exclusively with sleep initiation and/or maintenance problems underwent a structured clinical psychiatric interview and their parents completed the behavioral assessment system for children (BASC), pediatric symptom checklist, the clinical attention problem scale and a detailed sleep questionnaire.


RESULTS
Twenty-three of 46 children (50%) with persistent insomnia had a professional diagnosis of another psychiatric disorder. In the remaining 50%, although parents denied any previous psychiatric history, 40% displayed psychiatric symptoms as documented by psychometric measures and clinical interview. A significant positive correlation was observed between depressive BASC score and sleep onset latency and an inverse correlation was present with REM sleep latency.


CONCLUSIONS
The vast majority of children presenting with persistent insomnia exhibit clinical symptoms of an accompanying psychiatric disorder, suggesting that comprehensive psychometric assessments are warranted in this population.
Ivanenko
Anna
A
Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 571 S. Preston Street Suite 321, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Barnes
Maria E
ME
Crabtree
Valerie McLaughlin
VM
Gozal
David
D
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology