title: Childhood sleeping difficulties and depression in adulthood: the 1970 British Cohort Study.
abstract: Sleeping difficulties in childhood have been associated with an increased risk of depression in adult life, but existing studies have not accounted for comorbid maternal sleeping difficulties and depression. This study aimed to determine the association between childhood sleeping difficulties and depression in adulthood after adjusting for the potential confounding influences of maternal depression and sleeping difficulties. Data from the British Cohort Study 1970, a prospective birth cohort with 30 years of follow-up (1975-2005) were used. At 5 years of age, 7437 parents of participants recorded information on whether their child had sleeping difficulties, the frequency of bed-wetting, nightmares, maternal depression and sleep difficulties. At 34 years of age, participants reported whether or not they had received medical treatment for depression in the past year. Parental reports of severe sleeping difficulties at 5 years were associated with an increased risk of depression at age 34 years [odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2, 3.2] whereas moderate sleeping difficulties were not (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9, 1.3). In conclusion, severe sleeping problems in childhood may be associated with increased susceptibility to depression in adult life.
authors.affiliation: South East Wales Trials Unit (SEWTU), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Giles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Alice M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fone
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004325:Dreams; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D053206:Nocturnal Enuresis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Longitudinal; children; life transitions; mental health