Sleep disordered breathing symptoms are associated with depressive symptoms: A longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents

Little is known about the prospective association between sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. This study examined the independent predictive role of SDB symptoms in depressive symptoms in a large sample of adolescents.

A total of 11831 adolescents who participated in the baseline survey of Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort and 7072 adolescents who were resurveyed 1 year later were included for the analyses. Adolescents completed a self-administered questionnaire about demographics, mental health, sleep problems, and family environment. SDB symptoms were assessed by 3 items about loud snoring, breathing pauses, and snorting/gasping. The Chinese Youth Self-Report anxious/depressed subscale was used to assess depressive symptoms.

In the cross-sectional analyses, 11.8% adolescents had depressive symptoms, and elevated frequency of SDB symptoms were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. In the longitudinal study, 4.5% of adolescents had persistent depressive symptoms, the incidence rate of depressive symptoms at 1-year follow-up was 6.5%, and elevated frequency of any SDB symptoms (often: OR=2.23, 95%CI:1.50-3.32) at baseline was significantly associated with incident depressive symptoms after adjusting for potential confounders. The associations between SDB symptoms and depressive symptoms were similar for boys and girls.

SDB symptoms and depressive symptoms were measured by self-report.

SDB symptoms are an independent and significant predictor of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms between SDB and mood dysregulation in adolescents.