Short sleep duration in prevalent and persistent psychological distress in young adults: the DRIVE study.
OBJECTIVE
Young people are sleeping less. Short sleep duration has a range of negative consequences including a hypothesized link with psychological distress, which has yet to be studied


METHODS
Prospective cohort study


METHODS
Community-based sample from Australia


METHODS
Twenty thousand (20,822) young adults (aged 17-24) identified through the state vehicle licensing authority. A random sample (n = 5000) was approached for follow-up 12-18 months later, with 2837 providing full data.


METHODS
Psychological distress, determined by a Kessler 10 score > 21, at baseline; and as both onset and persistence of distress at follow-up.


RESULTS
Shorter sleep duration was linearly associated with prevalent psychological distress: relative risk (RR) 1.14 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.15). Only the very short (< 5 h) sleepers among those not distressed at baseline had an increased risk for onset of psychological distress (RR 3.25 [95% CI 1.84, 5.75]). Of 945 cohort participants reporting psychological distress at baseline, 419 (44%) were distressed at follow-up. Each hour less of sleep increased the risk of psychological distress persisting after adjustment for potential confounding variables: RR 1.05 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.10). Long sleep duration showed no association with distress at any time point.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported shorter sleep duration is linearly associated with prevalent and persistent psychological distress in young adults. In contrast, only the very short sleepers had a raised risk of new onset of distress. Different approaches to sleep duration measurement yield different results and should guide any interventions to improve subjective sleep duration in young adults.
Glozier
Nicholas
N
Disciplines of Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney Australia.
Martiniuk
Alexandra
A
Patton
George
G
Ivers
Rebecca
R
Li
Qiang
Q
Hickie
Ian
I
Senserrick
Teresa
T
Woodward
Mark
M
Norton
Robyn
R
Stevenson
Mark
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D015331:Cohort Studies; D020920:Dyssomnias / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult