Early childhood sleep and eating problems as predictors of adolescent and adult mood and anxiety disorders.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have suggested that eating and sleep problems during early childhood may pose as risk factors for mood and anxiety disorders in later life. We aim to study the associations between early childhood sleep and eating problems, specifically high motor activity during sleep and irregularities in sleep/eating schedules, and lifetime history of mood and anxiety disorders.


METHODS
We followed up 164 offspring, who were at high and low risk for major depression by virtue of their parental history (at least one parent had Major Depressive Disorder). Target sleep and eating problems were measured using Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS). The offspring were blindly assessed at 3 times over 20 years using a structured diagnostic interview.


RESULTS
Irregularities in sleeping and eating schedules in childhood (low rhythmicity) was associated with adolescent-onset major depression and anxiety disorder, as well as childhood-onset anxiety disorder. High motor activity level during sleep was associated with both childhood-onset and adolescent-onset dysthymic disorder. Neither childhood sleep nor eating irregularities were associated with adult onset psychopathology.


CONCLUSIONS
Retrospective reports of childhood sleep and eating patterns were derived from parent-reports. Reported problems may overlap with clinical diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should be alerted to parental reports of children's sleep and eating problems suggesting low rhythmicity, as well as high motor activity levels during sleep. These early behaviors may be predictive of subsequent mood and anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence.
Ong
Say How
SH
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Guidance Clinic, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. say_how_ONG@imh.com.sg
Wickramaratne
Priya
P
Tang
Min
M
Weissman
Myrna M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic