Large-scale transdiagnostic study links mental illness to poor sleep quality

People who have been diagnosed with mental illness are more likely to get poor quality sleep compared to the general population, according to the largest study of its kind ever.

The study conducted by CAMH, “Accelerometer derived from measurements of sleep and lifelong psychiatric diagnoses”, has just been published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

“Differences in sleep patterns indicated poorer quality of sleep for participants previously diagnosed with mental illness, including more frequent and longer awakenings,” said lead author Dr Shreejoy Tripathy, independent scientist at CAMH’s Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics. . He also pointed out that measuring sleep quality is just as important as measuring total quantity when it comes to its impact on mental health.

“The relationship between sleep and mental health is two-way,” said lead author Dr. Michael Wainberg, postdoctoral researcher at the Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics. “Poor sleep contributes to poor mental health, and poor mental health contributes to poor sleep. Differences in sleep patterns were a hallmark of all mental illnesses we studied, regardless of diagnosis.”

The study was based on data collected from 89,205 participants in the UK who agreed to wear a wrist accelerometer that tracked body movements 24 hours a day for seven days. They also consented to their data being stored in a digital biobank for research purposes. The authors used computational algorithms, including machine learning, to summarize this vast amount of data into ten metrics, including bedtime, wake-up time, naps, and longest sleep duration. uninterrupted. They then compared these parameters between participants who had previously been diagnosed with mental illness in their lifetime and those who had not.

We know that up to 80% of people with mental disorders may have problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up earlier than expected. We know that sleep disorders are a heavy burden on society, including the economy. And we know that treatments that improve the quality of sleep, whether it’s therapy or certain types of drugs, can improve mental health outcomes. “

Dr. Michael Mak, psychiatrist at CAMH and specialist in sleep disorders

This is the first large-scale transdiagnostic study of objectively measured sleep and mental health, and the study’s unique methodology enabled sleep monitoring in each individual’s natural sleep environment instead. than in a laboratory.

“Until now, no one has looked at objectively measured sleep in the context of mental illness on such a scale before,” said Dr Tripathy. “Part of the reason we wanted to do this study is that with the emergence of smartphones and portable devices, we have access to data streams that we never had before.”

The Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics is currently developing a UK-like patient data biobank that was used for this study. The primary goal of CAMH’s BrainHealth database is to use patient data, including the use of wearable devices outside of a hospital, to deliver enhanced, personalized mental health care in the community. present, while accelerating future clinical research, discovery and innovation.