Jet lag and psychotic disorders

Jet lag syndrome appears after multiple time zone transitions as bodily rhythms shift out of phase with the local environment. The possible psychiatric complications of jet lag have been underinvestigated. In the present review, the symptoms of jet lag in the general population, the chronobiological aspects of psychosis, as well as a possible correlation between jet lag and psychosis are discussed. The conclusions are that jet lag, through disruption of biological rhythm and probably sleep deprivation, may yield an exacerbation of existing psychotic conditions. The evidence concerning the appearance of de novo psychosis triggered by jet lag is inconsistent and far from convincing.