Sleep disorders

2020 ◽  
pp. 5886-5896
Author(s):  
Paul J. Reading

Dysfunctional sleep is an important cause of morbidity and is associated with numerous long-term health problems. Sleep-related symptoms can loosely be divided into insomnias, disorders causing excessive daytime sleepiness, and parasomnias, with some conditions having elements of all three categories. The need to sleep is imperative, reflecting the fact that sleepiness, similar to hunger and thirst, is a true drive state. Although its function remains largely elusive, disordered sleep can be associated with profound adverse effects on cognition, mental health, and physical well-being. Moreover, sleep-related symptoms are very common, with 25% of people reporting problems that significantly and regularly impact on daily activities.

Author(s):  
Paul Reading

Despite major advances in our understanding of its neurobiology, sleep remains an enigma. Its true function and even the amount needed for optimum brain performance remain uncertain (Frank 2006). However, the need to sleep is imperative, reflecting the fact that sleepiness, like hunger and thirst, is a true drive state. Sleepiness can only be satiated by sleep itself. Moreover, severely disordered sleep can profoundly affect cognition, mental health, and physical well-being.Although sleep medicine has a traditionally low profile in neurology teaching and practice, sleep-related phenomena are frequently associated with numerous neurological disorders. Conversely, sleep problems can adversely affect familiar conditions such as headache and epilepsy. Furthermore, in large surveys, sleep-related symptoms are undoubtedly common with 25 per cent of the population reporting problems that significantly and regularly impact on daily activities.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110175
Author(s):  
Roberto Rusca ◽  
Ike-Foster Onwuchekwa ◽  
Catherine Kinane ◽  
Douglas MacInnes

Background: Relationships are vital to recovery however, there is uncertainty whether users have different types of social networks in different mental health settings and how these networks may impact on users’ wellbeing. Aims: To compare the social networks of people with long-term mental illness in the community with those of people in a general adult in-patient unit. Method: A sample of general adult in-patients with enduring mental health problems, aged between 18 and 65, was compared with a similar sample attending a general adult psychiatric clinic. A cross-sectional survey collected demographic data and information about participants’ social networks. Participants also completed the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale to examine well-being and the Significant Others Scale to explore their social network support. Results: The study recruited 53 participants (25 living in the community and 28 current in-patients) with 339 named as important members of their social networks. Both groups recorded low numbers in their social networks though the community sample had a significantly greater number of social contacts (7.4 vs. 5.4), more monthly contacts with members of their network and significantly higher levels of social media use. The in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Conclusions: People with serious and enduring mental health problems living in the community had a significantly greater number of people in their social network than those who were in-patients while the in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Recommendations for future work have been made.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Wüstner ◽  
C Otto ◽  
F Reiss ◽  
C Voss ◽  
A-K Meyrose ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Mental health problems in children, adolescents and young adults are highly prevalent and cause a significant burden for both individuals and society, resulting in a high relevance to public health. Longitudinal studies are needed to provide profound population-based data on mental health and well-being. In the present study, first results of the 11-year follow-up of the German BELLA study are presented. These include age- and gender-specific courses of general health and well-being, long-term health outcomes of mental health problems, and the utilisation of mental health services. Methods The longitudinal BELLA study is the module on mental health and well-being within the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). The BELLA study has gathered data since 2003 at five measurement points using standardised measures. In the most recent 11-year follow-up, N = 3,492 young people aged 7 to 31 years participated. Individual growth modeling, linear regression and descriptive analyses were conducted. Results Self-reported general health and well-being were both better in younger than older and in male compared to female participants using data from all five measurement points. Mental health problems in childhood and adolescence (measured at baseline) were associated with adverse general, mental and physical health outcomes at 6-year and 11-year follow-ups. About 75 % of children and adolescents with a diagnosed mental disorder were under mental health treatment. Conclusions With its 11-year follow-up, the longitudinal BELLA study provides new data on mental health and well-being in German children, adolescents and young adults. Our findings are important for the development of targeted mental health promotion and early prevention strategies. Promising future analyses are planned. Key messages The BELLA study provides data on developmental trajectories of mental health from childhood to adulthood, on long-term health outcomes of mental health problems and on mental health care use. The findings of the present study are of great relevance for the development of targeted health promotion and prevention programs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 16-21
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Miller

Every day over six billion people and innumerable animals on earth succumb to the need for sleep. However, many fundamental questions such as ‘What is sleep?’ ‘How is it controlled?’ ‘How can we measure it?’ ‘Why do we need it?’ ‘How much is required?’ and ‘What happens if you do not get enough?’ are still to be fully answered. This article will briefly examine these and some related questions. It will examine some of the factors that are known to regulate sleep, how it is measured and how much is considered ‘normal’. It will discuss the consequence to an individual or society of insufficient or poor quality sleep. In turn, it will consider whether individuals who ‘sleep for excessive periods’ of time, who are ‘slow at doing things’ or who appear to be ‘lazy’ are willingly complicit to committing the deadly sin ‘sloth’ or whether their ‘abnormal’ sleeping patterns or observed ‘excessive daytime sleepiness’ (EDS) may be ‘normal’ for their age, caused by different sleep needs, the result of underlying sleep disorders and/or other health problems.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Éva Kállay

Abstract. The last several decades have witnessed a substantial increase in the number of individuals suffering from both diagnosable and subsyndromal mental health problems. Consequently, the development of cost-effective treatment methods, accessible to large populations suffering from different forms of mental health problems, became imperative. A very promising intervention is the method of expressive writing (EW), which may be used in both clinically diagnosable cases and subthreshold symptomatology. This method, in which people express their feelings and thoughts related to stressful situations in writing, has been found to improve participants’ long-term psychological, physiological, behavioral, and social functioning. Based on a thorough analysis and synthesis of the published literature (also including most recent meta-analyses), the present paper presents the expressive writing method, its short- and long-term, intra-and interpersonal effects, different situations and conditions in which it has been proven to be effective, the most important mechanisms implied in the process of recovery, advantages, disadvantages, and possible pitfalls of the method, as well as variants of the original technique and future research directions.


Author(s):  
Dora A. Lozsadi

Epilepsy is the commonest serious chronic neurological condition, affecting 0.5% of the population in the UK. Subjective sleep disturbance and excessive daytime sleepiness are reported to be 50% more frequent in those with epilepsy than in controls. Causes are multiple. Both poor seizure control and nocturnal attacks are known to contribute to such sleep disorders. Epilepsy also increases the risk of associated sleep disorders, and additional neurological conditions, such as dementia, learning disability, and depression. These all affect sleep hygiene. Prescribed anti-epileptic drugs will further aggravate the problem. Side-effects will include drowsiness. Sedating benzodiazepines and barbiturates are considered worst offenders. Others affect sleep architecture to varying degrees and/or cause insomnia. While hyper-somnolence in patients with epilepsy will raise the possibility of any of the above issues, sleep deprivation is one of the commonest seizure triggers. This chapter will shed more light on the intricate relationship between sleep and epilepsy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Beate Muschalla ◽  
Clio Vollborn ◽  
Anke Sondhof

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Embitterment can occur as a reaction to perceived injustice. During the pandemic and restrictions in daily living due to infection risk management, a range of many smaller or severe injustices have occurred. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of this study is to investigate what characterizes persons with high embitterment, mental illness, embitterment and mental illness, and those without embitterment or mental health problems. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted an online survey including persons from the general population in November 2020 and December 2020, the phase during which a second lockdown took place, with closed shops, restaurants, cultural and activity sites. 3,208 participants (mean age 47 years) gave self-ratings on their present well-being, burdens experienced during the pandemic, embitterment, wisdom, and resilience. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Embitterment occurred among 16% of the sample, which is a high rate in comparison with 4% during pre-pandemic times. Embitterment was weakly correlated with unspecific mental well-being. There were more persons with embitterment than those with embitterment and a mental health problem. Persons with embitterment reported less coronavirus-related anxiety than persons without embitterment. However, embittered persons reported more social and economic burdens and more frequent experiences of losses (job loss and canceling of medical treatments). Embittered persons perceive their own wisdom competencies on a similar level as persons with mental health problems or persons without mental health problems. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Embitterment is a specific potentially alone-standing affective state, which is distinguishable from general mental health and coping capacities (here: wisdom). The economic and social consequences of pandemic management should be carefully recognized and prevented by policy.


Author(s):  
Herbert E. Ainamani ◽  
Godfrey Z. Rukundo ◽  
Timothy Nduhukire ◽  
Eunice Ndyareba ◽  
Tobias Hecker

Abstract Background Child maltreatment poses high risks to the mental health and cognitive functioning of children not only in childhood but also in later life. However, it remains unclear whether child maltreatment is directly associated with impaired cognitive functioning or whether this link is mediated by mental health problems. Our study aimed at examining this research question among children and adolescents in Uganda. Methods A sample of 232 school-going children and adolescents with a mean age of 14.03 (SD = 3.25) was assessed on multiple forms of maltreatment using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology Exposure—Pediatric Version (pediMACE). Executive functions were assessed by the Tower of London task and working memory by the Corsi Block Tapping task, while mental health problems were assessed using the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for PTSD and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Results In total, 232 (100%) of the participant reported to have experienced at least one type of maltreatment in their lifetime including emotional, physical, and sexual violence as well as neglect. We found a negative association between child maltreatment and executive functions (β = − 0.487, p < 0.001) and working memory (β = − 0.242, p = 0.001). Mental health problems did not mediate this relationship. Conclusions Child maltreatment seems to be related to lower working memory and executive functioning of affected children and adolescents even after controlling for potential cofounders. Our study indicates that child maltreatment the affects children’s cognitive functionality beyond health and well-being.


2021 ◽  
pp. 215686932110085
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks

Beliefs about the probability of educational success tend to be very optimistic in the United States. However, scholars are beginning to uncover mental health consequences associated with quixotic hope—the unrealistic outstripping of expectation by aspiration. Using longitudinal data from Waves 1 and 3 of the National Study of Youth and Religion, this study asks, (1) does religiosity promote or diminish the likelihood of quixotic hope? and (2) does religious attendance and closeness to God mitigate long-term mental health consequences of quixotic hope? Results show that weekly religious attendance had a modest negative relationship with the likelihood of experiencing quixotic hope, while increasing religious attendance over time attenuated the negative mental health consequences of quixotic hope on increases in depression. Closeness to God neither predicted quixotic hope nor played a moderating role for depression. As educational expectations rise, regular religious practice may help protect the emotional well-being of youth.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135581962199749
Author(s):  
Veronica Toffolutti ◽  
David Stuckler ◽  
Martin McKee ◽  
Ineke Wolsey ◽  
Judith Chapman ◽  
...  

Objective Patients with a combination of long-term physical health problems can face barriers in obtaining appropriate treatment for co-existing mental health problems. This paper evaluates the impact of integrating the improving access to psychological therapies services (IAPT) model with services addressing physical health problems. We ask whether such services can reduce secondary health care utilization costs and improve the employment prospects of those so affected. Methods We used a stepped-wedge design of two cohorts of a total of 1,096 patients with depression and/or anxiety and comorbid long-term physical health conditions from three counties within the Thames Valley from March to August 2017. Panels were balanced. Difference-in-difference models were employed in an intention-to-treat analysis. Results The new Integrated-IAPT was associated with a decrease of 6.15 (95% CI: −6.84 to −5.45) [4.83 (95% CI: −5.47 to −4.19]) points in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [generalized anxiety disorder-7] and £360 (95% CI: –£559 to –£162) in terms of secondary health care utilization costs per person in the first three months of treatment. The Integrated-IAPT was also associated with an 8.44% (95% CI: 1.93% to 14.9%) increased probability that those who were unemployed transitioned to employment. Conclusions Mental health treatment in care model with Integrated-IAPT seems to have significantly reduced secondary health care utilization costs among persons with long-term physical health conditions and increased their probability of employment.


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