Importance of sleep disturbance in mood and anxiety disorders

Disturbed sleep is so common a symptom in mood disorders, that is used to help support the diagnosis for major depressive episodes (in unipolar and bipolar disorder) and dysthymia: disturbed sleep is also listed within the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, longitudinal studies indicate that complaints of disturbed sleep (in the absence of depression) at baseline are associated with an increased risk of depression at follow-up. Insomnia is often considered one of the most distressing symptoms by people experiencing depression, and is known to be associated with reduced quality of life, and increased risk of recurrence and suicide. Insomnia can be a troublesome and persistent residual symptom following treatment with antidepressants or cognitive behaviour therapy, and is often difficult to treat