The role of anxiety and depression in the development of insomnia : cross-sectional and prospective analyses

• The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between anxiety, depression and insomnia, and to investigate whether anxiety and depression are related to future insomnia. This study employed a combination of a cross-sectional and a prospective design. From a randomly selected sample from the general population (N = 3600), 1936 participants filled out a baseline and 1-year follow-up survey on insomnia, anxiety and depression. Odds ratios (ORs) estimations were used to investigate the associations between anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In the cross-sectional study, anxiety (OR: 4.61) and depression (OR: 2.42) showed moderate to strong associations with insomnia. However, the prospective study showed that anxiety (OR: 3.35) was more strongly related than depression (OR: 1.96) to the development of insomnia 1 year later. While anxiety seems to play a key role in the development of insomnia, depression may be considered as a possible precipitating mechanism but even more likely as a consequence of insomnia.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Psychology

Psykologi

Psychology

Psykologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)