Citation

Merikanto I, Partonen T. Depress. Anxiety 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/da.23189

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data show that having the eveningness associates with poor mental health. For preventive measures it is important to know which underlying factors mediate these associations and the burden posed to public health. This study examines at a population-based level, whether (1) circadian type and the sleep-wake behavior-based phase entrainment similarly associate with mental health problems, (2) there are differences in hospital treatments due to mental disorders between chronotypes, and (3) the association of chronotype with mental health is mediated by insufficient sleep.

METHODS: The study sample (N = 18,039) consisted of population-based sample of Finnish adults, aged 25-74 years, with information on their circadian type and sleep patterns, mental health symptoms, and diagnosis as reported in a health examination survey, as well as hospital treatments as recorded on the national Hospital Discharge Register.

RESULTS: All the mental health symptoms, diagnoses and hospital treatments were more pronounced among Evening-types, especially when assessed by circadian type. Insufficient sleep mediated most but not all of the associations between eveningness and mental health.

CONCLUSIONS: Eveningness does not increase mental health risks only on symptom or diagnosis level, but also on hospital admission level. A higher prevalence of insufficient sleep among the Evening-types elevates the risk and severity for many of the mental health outcomes. Improving the sleep among Evening-types could help to improve their mental health prospective and ease the health care burden.

Language: en

Keywords

epidemiology; depression; anxiety; bipolar disorder; sleep disorders