Insomnia in Older Adults With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Objectives-The purposes of this study are to determine the frequency and severity of insomnia symptoms and related complaints experienced by older adults with GAD and compare them with older adults without GAD; compare insomnia symptoms among older adults with GAD with and without comorbid depression; determine if there are age differences in insomnia severity among people with GAD; and determine if there are differences in insomnia severity between older adults with GAD and older adults diagnosed with insomnia. Design-Cross-sectional.Setting-Participants were recruited through primary care clinics, advertisements, and mass mailings.Participants-110 older adults; 31 with GAD, 25 with GAD and depression, 33 worried well, and 21 with no psychiatric diagnosis.Measurements-Psychiatric diagnosis, sleep disturbance, and health.Results-Participants with GAD with and without comorbid depression reported significantly greater sleep disturbance severity than participants with no psychiatric diagnosis and the worried well. There were no differences in sleep disturbances between older adults with GAD only and older adults with comorbid GAD and depression. The severity of sleep disturbance reported by older (2008, $5,000) and Sepracor (2006-8, $3,000); Speakers bureau for GSK (2006-7, $5,000) and Sepracor (2006-8, $10,000); Has given expert testimony related to the subject of this article. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptAm J Geriatr Psychiatry. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 June 1. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript participants with GAD was greater than reports by young and middle-aged participants with GAD, and comparable to reports by older adults with a diagnosis of insomnia.Conclusions-Ninety percent of older adults with GAD report dissatisfaction with sleep and the majority report moderate to severe insomnia. These findings support the assessment of sleep disturbances within the context of late-life GAD.

Insomnia among community dwelling elderly in Alexandria, Egypt

“…Moreover, regarding anxiety, Brenes et al [39] found similar results to our findings. They found that elderly individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with or without comorbid depression reported significantly higher insomnia severity, and there were no differences in sleep disturbances between older adults with GAD only and older adults with comorbid GAD and depression.…”

Understanding the Experiences of Anxiety in Community Dwelling Older Adults—Understanding Anxiety in Older Adults

“…Consequently assessing sleep disturbances in older adults could be a key diagnostic indicator of psychological difficulties [23], but must be differentiated from sleep disturbances due to medical conditions. Brenes et al [24] found 90% of older adults with GAD reported dissatisfaction with sleep, and 52% -68% experienced moderate to severe insomnia. Sleep onset and maintenance difficulties were most common in older adults with GAD, followed by early morning wakening and initial insomnia.…”

Interventions for generalized anxiety disorder in older adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis

“…At an individual level, anxiety symptoms and disorders have been found to be associated with increased sleep disturbance (Brenes et al, 2009), intake of anxiety related medication (Gonç alves, Pachana, & Byrne, 2011), disability (Brenes et al, 2005), mortality (Ostir & Goodwin, 2006), and decreased cognitive functioning (Beaudreau & O'Hara, 2009;Mantella et al, 2007). At a societal level, late-life anxiety was related to increased use of health services, namely longer appointments with physicians (Stanley, Roberts, Bourland, & Novy, 2001), and inability to perform daily functions (Trollor, Anderson, Sachdev, Brodaty, & Andrews, 2007).…”