Early childhood sleep and eating problems as predictors of adolescent and adult mood and anxiety disorders.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Recent studies have suggested that eating and sleep problems during early childhood may pose as risk factors for mood and anxiety disorders in later life. We aim to study the associations between early childhood sleep and eating problems, specifically high motor activity during sleep and irregularities in sleep/eating schedules, and lifetime history of mood and anxiety disorders.

METHODS:
We followed up 164 offspring, who were at high and low risk for major depression by virtue of their parental history (at least one parent had Major Depressive Disorder). Target sleep and eating problems were measured using Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS). The offspring were blindly assessed at 3 times over 20 years using a structured diagnostic interview.

RESULT:
Irregularities in sleeping and eating schedules in childhood (low rhythmicity) was associated with adolescent-onset major depression and anxiety disorder, as well as childhood-onset anxiety disorder. High motor activity level during sleep was associated with both childhood-onset and adolescent-onset dysthymic disorder. Neither childhood sleep nor eating irregularities were associated with adult onset psychopathology.

LIMITATIONS:
Retrospective reports of childhood sleep and eating patterns were derived from parent-reports. Reported problems may overlap with clinical diagnoses.

CONCLUSION:
Clinicians should be alerted to parental reports of children's sleep and eating problems suggesting low rhythmicity, as well as high motor activity levels during sleep. These early behaviors may be predictive of subsequent mood and anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence.

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Author information

Author/s: Ong, Say How (SH); Wickramaratne, Priya (P); Tang, Min (M); Weissman, Myrna M (MM);

Affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Guidance Clinic, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. say_how_ONG(-atsign-)imh.com.sg

Grants: R01MH036197 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of affective disorders (J Affect Disord), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Nov; vol 96 (issue 1-2) : pp 1-8

Dates: Created 2006/10/18; Completed 2007/02/12; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 16844230, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; genetics; psychology
Child
Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; genetics; psychology
Dysthymic Disorder - diagnosis; genetics; psychology
Feeding Behavior
Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood - diagnosis; psychology
Female

Female
Humans
Male
Motor Activity
Personality Assessment
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sleep Disorders - diagnosis; psychology
Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm - diagnosis; psychology
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