Sleep disorder and psychobiological symptomatology in male psychiatric outpatients and male nonpatients

Abstract

Sleep disturbance was studied in relation to psychiatric and physical symptoms for 214 male psychiatric outpatients and 248 male nonpatients. Our self-report instrument required that subjects describe the frequency of symptoms precisely on a five-point scale from "every day" to "not at all." Percentages are based on the numbers of subjects reporting a symptom as occurring "every day" or "several times a week." More patients reported sleep disturbance symptoms (75%) than nonpatients (25%) (P less than 0.001). Sleep loss symptoms were reported by 63% of patients and 20% of nonpatients. Twelve percent of patients and 6% of nonpatients reported trouble with excessive sleep problems. Sleep disturbance was not strongly related to specific diagnoses. Fewer schizophrenics (21%) than other patients (50%) reported trouble "falling asleep" (P less than 0.02). Finally, for both patients and controls, disturbed sleepers reported more psychiatric and physical symptoms than undisturbed sleepers (P less than 0.001). It is suggested that sleep disturbance might be a useful clinical clue to previously unsuspected psychiatric and physical illness.