Full access
Clinical and Research News
Published Online: 5 October 2017

Sleep Apnea Increases Suicide Risk

Publication: Psychiatrics News
Volume 52, Number 19
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.10a51
Sleep disturbance contributes to suicide risk beyond its association with frequently co-occurring risk factors, such as depression, said Todd Bishop, Ph.D., a health science specialist at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in Canandaigua, New York, and a senior instructor in psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He and colleagues explored an association between sleep apnea and suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Although sleep apnea affects an estimated 3 to 7 percent of men and 2 to 5 percent of women, its impact on mental health has received little research attention, Bishop said. Sleep apnea fragments the sleep cycle and lowers sleep quality, he said, increasing impulsivity and decreasing executive functioning, potentially reducing an individual’s ability to cope with stressors.
His group analyzed data from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). After excluding participants under age 18 or with incomplete data, Bishop’s team assessed findings from 41,075 respondents.
Nearly three percent of their sample–1,179 individuals–reported having been diagnosed with sleep apnea, fewer than expected, Bishop said, perhaps because sleep apnea is underdiagnosed. Of those reporting sleep apnea, nearly 10 percent said they had thought seriously about suicide in the past 12 months, compared with about 5 percent of those without sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea also reported having planned suicide or attempted it more often than those without sleep apnea.
A diagnosis of sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder, Bishop said, presents an early opportunity for health care providers to initiate conversations with patients about suicide and mental health. ■

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric News
Psychiatrics News
Volume 52 • Number 19 • September 16, 2017 – October 6, 2017
Pages: 1

History

Published online: 5 October 2017
Published in print: September 16, 2017 – October 6, 2017

Keywords

  1. suicide
  2. sleep apnea
  3. Todd Bishop

Authors

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

There are no citations for this item

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share

×

As described within the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences. Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.