Epidemiology of insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
OBJECTIVE
This study used empirically validated insomnia diagnostic criteria to compare depression and anxiety in people with insomnia and people not having insomnia. We also explored which specific sleep variables were significantly related to depression and anxiety. Finally, we compared depression and anxiety in (1) different insomnia types, (2) Caucasians and African Americans, and (3) genders. All analyses controlled for health variables, demographics, organic sleep disorders, and symptoms of organic sleep disorders.


METHODS
Cross-sectional and retrospective.


METHODS
Community-based sample (N=772) of at least 50 men and 50 women in each 10-year age bracket from 20 to more than 89 years old.


METHODS
Self-report measures of health, sleep, depression, and anxiety.


RESULTS
People with insomnia had greater depression and anxiety levels than people not having insomnia and were 9.82 and 17.35 times as likely to have clinically significant depression and anxiety, respectively. Increased insomnia frequency was related to increased depression and anxiety, and increased number of awakenings was also related to increased depression. These were the only 2 sleep variables significantly related to depression and anxiety. People with combined insomnia (ie, both onset and maintenance insomnia) had greater depression than did people with onset, maintenance, or mixed insomnia. There were no differences between other insomnia types. African Americans were 3.43 and 4.8 times more likely to have clinically significant depression and anxiety than Caucasians, respectively. Women had higher levels of depression than men.


CONCLUSIONS
These results reaffirm the close relationship of insomnia, depression, and anxiety, after rigorously controlling for other potential explanations for the relationship.
Taylor
Daniel J
DJ
University of North Texas, Department of Psychology, Denton 76203-1280, USA. djtaylor@unt.edu
Lichstein
Kenneth L
KL
Durrence
H Heith
HH
Reidel
Brant W
BW
Bush
Andrew J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires