Insomnia in adolescents: prevalence, help-seeking behaviors, and types of interventions

BackgroundLittle is known about the DSM-IV diagnosis of insomnia among adolescents. Their help-seeking behaviors and self-help strategies for insomnia remain largely unclear. MethodA cross-sectional, interview-based study of 290 Chinese adolescents. ResultsThe prevalence of insomnia symptoms was 40%, among which 9.3% had DSM-IV insomnia. Primary insomnia accounted for 7.9%, whereas insomnia associated with psychiatric disorders constituted 1.4%. Adolescents with DSM-IV insomnia had more severe and frequent insomnia, higher GHQ scores, and were more likely to have a history of sleep paralysis than those with insomnia symptoms alone. About 22% of adolescents with insomnia symptoms sought help and 32% attempted various strategies to improve sleep. ConclusionsMany adolescents were troubled by insomnia, but they seldom sought help from healthcare professionals or received proper treatments. Key Practitioner Message Insomnia is common among adolescents and linked with long-term emotional, behavioral, and substancerelated problems The prevalence of insomnia symptoms and DSM-IV insomnia in a sample of Chinese adolescents was found to be 40% and 9.3%, respectively Only 22% of adolescents with insomnia symptoms sought help and 32% attempted various strategies to improve sleep Insomnia causes significant distress and functional impairment in a sizable proportion of adolescents, but it is often neglected and untreated Attention should be given for early recognition and treatment of insomnia in adolescents