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Sleep in relation to psychiatric symptoms and perceived stress in Swedish adolescents aged 15 to 19 years

Thorsén, Frida LU ; Antonson, Carl LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2020) In Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology 8. p.10-17
Abstract
Background:
Sleep affects psychiatric health and perceived stress during adolescence.
Objective:
The first aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of poor sleep in a sample of Swedish adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The second aim was to investigate correlations between: a) sleep and psychiatric symptoms and; b) sleep and perceived stress. The third aim was to examine possible sex differences in sleep.
Method:
In 2011, a total of 185 Swedish adolescents (aged 15 to 19 years) from two upper secondary schools participated in this cross-sectional study. We used three different psychometric scales: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure... (More)
Background:
Sleep affects psychiatric health and perceived stress during adolescence.
Objective:
The first aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of poor sleep in a sample of Swedish adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The second aim was to investigate correlations between: a) sleep and psychiatric symptoms and; b) sleep and perceived stress. The third aim was to examine possible sex differences in sleep.
Method:
In 2011, a total of 185 Swedish adolescents (aged 15 to 19 years) from two upper secondary schools participated in this cross-sectional study. We used three different psychometric scales: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure sleep, general psychiatric health and perceived stress.
Results:
In total, 76% of the female students and 71% of the male students had poor overall sleep quality. A large majority, 93%, reported daytime dysfunction and 60% reported problems staying awake during daily activities. The correlation between sleep and general psychiatric health was 0.44 and the correlation between sleep quality and perceived stress was 0.48. Female students reported significantly more sleep disturbances than male students do.
Conclusions:
Three out of four of the upper secondary school students presented with poor overall sleep that associated with psychiatric symptoms and perceived stress. These findings add to results from earlier studies and imply that interventions to improve sleep in adolescents, individually as well as on a societal level, should be considered as one way of trying to impact the observed rising numbers of psychiatric complaints. Such interventions may improve mental and somatic health in adolescents and prevent the development of psychiatric and stress-related symptoms. Further studies of possible methods, and their implementation, for improving sleep in adolescents should be of high priority. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology
volume
8
pages
10 - 17
external identifiers
  • pmid:33520774
ISSN
2245-8875
DOI
10.21307/sjcapp-2020-002
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b646f7e1-1034-46e1-aece-83081b638517
date added to LUP
2020-09-21 17:08:16
date last changed
2021-03-23 03:00:13
@article{b646f7e1-1034-46e1-aece-83081b638517,
  abstract     = {{Background:<br/>Sleep affects psychiatric health and perceived stress during adolescence.<br/>Objective:<br/>The first aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of poor sleep in a sample of Swedish adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The second aim was to investigate correlations between: a) sleep and psychiatric symptoms and; b) sleep and perceived stress. The third aim was to examine possible sex differences in sleep.<br/>Method:<br/>In 2011, a total of 185 Swedish adolescents (aged 15 to 19 years) from two upper secondary schools participated in this cross-sectional study. We used three different psychometric scales: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure sleep, general psychiatric health and perceived stress.<br/>Results:<br/>In total, 76% of the female students and 71% of the male students had poor overall sleep quality. A large majority, 93%, reported daytime dysfunction and 60% reported problems staying awake during daily activities. The correlation between sleep and general psychiatric health was 0.44 and the correlation between sleep quality and perceived stress was 0.48. Female students reported significantly more sleep disturbances than male students do.<br/>Conclusions:<br/>Three out of four of the upper secondary school students presented with poor overall sleep that associated with psychiatric symptoms and perceived stress. These findings add to results from earlier studies and imply that interventions to improve sleep in adolescents, individually as well as on a societal level, should be considered as one way of trying to impact the observed rising numbers of psychiatric complaints. Such interventions may improve mental and somatic health in adolescents and prevent the development of psychiatric and stress-related symptoms. Further studies of possible methods, and their implementation, for improving sleep in adolescents should be of high priority.}},
  author       = {{Thorsén, Frida and Antonson, Carl and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{2245-8875}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{10--17}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology}},
  title        = {{Sleep in relation to psychiatric symptoms and perceived stress in Swedish adolescents aged 15 to 19 years}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2020-002}},
  doi          = {{10.21307/sjcapp-2020-002}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}