What Is Causing Depression And Anxiety Among Teens?

Sleep is something that many people minimize. There are so may distractions. There are so many important things that take up the late hours. But there are also people that try to sleep, but find it vary difficult to do so. What are the possible repercussions for such persons?

Insomnia and depression often go hand-in-hand. Although just 15% of people with depression sleep too much, as many as 80% have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Patients with persistent insomnia are more than three times more likely to develop depression.

The relationship between insomnia and depression is far from simple, however. “Until recently, insomnia was typically seen as a symptom of depression,” says Michael L. Perlis, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. “Treat the underlying depression, the thinking went, and sleep problems would go away.”

But new research shows that insomnia is not just a symptom of depression. “What we’ve come to understand is that insomnia and depression are two distinct but overlapping disorders,” says Perlis. Research shows that by treating both simultaneously, doctors have a better shot at improving a patient’s sleep quality, mood, and overall quality of life.

A new study reveals a strong association between insomnia and mental health conditions among teens.

Teens who are active in the evenings are more likely to suffer depression and insomnia, a new study has found. 

The study of high school students sheds new light on the links between insomnia-related mental health conditions among teens. 

“People with insomnia find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep for as long as they need to. This is a widespread sleep disorder among the general public, and in most countries about 11 per cent of teens aged 13-16 years experience insomnia at some stage,” researchers said. 

Adelaide University School of Psychology PhD student Pasquale Alvaro surveyed more than 300 Australian high school students aged 12-18 to better understand their sleep habits, mental health condition and the time of day they were most active (known as their “chronotype”). 

The results, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, may have implications for the clinical treatment of teens experiencing sleep and mental health issues. 

“People with insomnia find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep for as long as they need to. This is a widespread sleep disorder among the general public, and in most countries about 11 per cent of teens aged 13-16 years experience insomnia at some stage,” Alvaro said. 

“There is a growing awareness among the scientific community that insomnia, depression and anxiety disorders are linked with each other, and these disorders contain overlapping neurobiological, psychological, and social risk factors. 

“Having insomnia in addition to anxiety or depression can further intensify the problems being experienced with each individual disorder. It can lead to such problems as alcohol and drug misuse during adolescence,” he said. 

Alvaro’s study found that the presence of insomnia was independently linked with depression, generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder among teens. 

Teens who were more active in the evenings were more likely to have depression and/or insomnia. This group was also more likely to have obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, and social phobia, although these disorders were often not independently linked with insomnia. 

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article source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/teens-active-in-the-evenings-prone-to-insomnia-depression-114073101330_1.html
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