Sleep paralysis and trauma, psychiatric symptoms and disorders in an adult African American population attending primary medical care

Abstract

The occurrence of sleep paralysis (SP) absent narcolepsy appears to not be uncommon in African Americans and probably other non-European groups. Prior research has linked SP to trauma and psychiatric disorders and suggested a specific relationship to panic disorder in African Americans. The objective of our study was to evaluate relationships of SP with trauma, concurrent psychiatric symptoms and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses in an adult African American population recruited from primary care. Cross sectional study with surveys and diagnostic interviews; Patients attending primary care clinics filled out a survey that determined the 6 month prevalence and associated features of SP, a panic disorder screen, the self-rated Hamilton Depression Scale, and an inventory of trauma exposure. A subset of trauma-exposed participants (N = 142) received comprehensive diagnostic interviews that incorporated the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Clinician Assessed PTSD Scale. Four hundred and forty-one adults participated (mean age-40.0 SD = 13.3, 68% female, 95% African American). Fourteen percent endorsed recent SP. In approximately 1/3 of those with SP, episodes also featured panic symptoms. SP was strongly associated with trauma history, and concurrent anxiety and mood symptoms. SP was not associated with specific psychiatric disorders other than lifetime (but not current) alcohol or substance use disorders. Our findings suggest that SP is not uncommon in adult African Americans and is associated with trauma and concurrent distress but not with a specific psychiatric diagnosis.

A twin and molecular genetics study of sleep paralysis and associated factors

“…These findings are in line with previous research. Sleep paralysis has been shown to be associated with higher levels of self‐reported stress and trauma (Mellman et al ., ). Similarly, our findings support previous research linking anxiety to sleep paralysis (Ramsawh et al ., ).…”

Biological Variations in Depression and Anxiety Between East and West

“…The strong association of PTSD and ISP is also found in Cambodian refugees [90]. It has been suggested that there is a possibility of interaction of ISP and anxiety disorders with ethnicity [94,95]. As in previous described, the contribution of cross‐ethnic sleep architecture differences to differential disease vulnerability, particularly in the depth of sleep and in phasic REM measures, deserve further research efforts.…”

The Harvard/Brown Anxiety Research Project-Phase II (HARP-II): Rationale, methods, and features of the sample at intake

“…The Mellman Sleep Paralysis Questionnaire (Mellman, Aigbogun, Graves, Lawson, & Alim, 2007) assesses the presence of sleep paralysis. It contains a screening question along with additional items about frequency and duration of sleep paralysis episodes as well as associated symptoms.…”