Citation

Goodwin RD, Marusic A. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 133.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. rdg66@columbia.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964113

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the association between sleep, mental disorders, and suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) among adults in the community. Data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey (n=8098), a nationally representative sample of adults ages 15-54 in the United States. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between usual number of hours of sleep during a 24-hour period and SI and SA (past 12-month and lifetime). Analyses were adjusted for differences in demographic characteristics and comorbid mental disorders. Additional analyses were run investigating the relationship between hours of sleep and the odds of SA among adults with SI (compared with SI without SA). Decreased number of hours of sleep was associated with significantly increased odds of SI (OR=2.5 (1.6-3.9)) and SA (OR=3.0 (1.4-6.4)), and with SA among those with SI (past 12-months). These associations persisted after adjusting for differences in demographic characteristics and mental disorders. While comorbid mental disorders were associated with low sleep and SI and SA, they did not substantially influence the relation between low sleep and SA. In contrast, the association between low sleep and SI (OR=2.5 (1.6, 3.9)) and SA (OR= 3.0 (1.4-6.4))) remained statistically significant after adjusting for differences in demographic characteristics but appeared to be influenced by depression and other mental disorders as the link was reduced after adjustment. Alcohol dependence and bipolar disorder appear to contribute to the likelihood of SA among those with SI while drug dependence and depression was associated with increased likelihood of SI without SA. Low sleep appears to be associated with increased likelihood of SI and SA, even after adjusting for the effects of mental disorders, among adults in the community. Future studies that can identify the mechanism of the association between sleep and SI and SA may be useful in improving our understanding of the etiology and improving our ability to prevent suicide attempts.

Language: en