Psychiatric Illness and Parasomnias: a Systematic Review

This article summarizes knowledge regarding the relationships between psychiatric disorders and parasomnias, and possible confounds. A systematic search of the literature in the past 10  years identified 19 articles.Recent FindingsThere were significantly elevated rates of parasomnias in psychiatric disorders (average prevalence of nightmares was 38.9%, sleep paralysis 22.3%, SRED 9.9%, sleepwalking 8.5%, and RBD 3.8%). Medication usage was only one of many risk factors (other sleep disorders, medical comorbidities, and substance abuse) which were associated with parasomnias.SummaryA strong association exists between mental illness and parasomnias which is not fully explained by medications. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to develop a better understanding of the unique and shared variance from multiple risk factors.
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research