Sleep Disturbance Trajectories During Childhood and Early Adolescence Associated With Increased Suicide Risk

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sleep disturbances are a known risk factor for suicide.
• Few studies have investigated sleep's impact on suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) during the critical childhood-to-adolescence transition.
• Understanding these developmental trajectories is vital for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between specific sleep disturbance trajectories from childhood to early adolescence and STB in youth.
• To identify distinct sleep patterns and their relationship with the severity of suicidal ideation and behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 11,864 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
• Employed latent class growth analysis to define sleep disturbance trajectories.
• Used Bayesian ordinal regression to assess the link between sleep profiles and STB over 2-, 3-, and 4-year follow-ups.

Main Results:

• Identified three sleep profiles: low-stable, high-decreasing, and moderate-increasing.
• Both high-decreasing (OR 1.75) and moderate-increasing (OR 2.34) sleep disturbance profiles were significantly associated with higher odds of severe STB compared to the low-stable group.
• Difficulty initiating/maintaining sleep and excessive sleepiness were common symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Distinct developmental trajectories of sleep disturbance are associated with varying levels of STB severity.
• Early high or worsening moderate sleep disturbances during childhood and adolescence are critical risk factors for STB.
• Targeting early and worsening sleep problems offers a promising avenue for suicide prevention strategies in young people.