A disturbing study was recently published by researchers in Norway.
The study surveyed over 10,000 teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 on their mental health, including sleep duration and quality, and self-harm.
702 of the teenagers reported self-harming, with around half of this group claiming to have self-harmed on more than one occasion.
Researchers found that teenagers with sleep problems were far more likely to report self-harm compared to healthy sleepers.
Furthermore, self-harming was found to be four times more common in those who met all the criteria for insomnia.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was also discovered that teenagers who self-harmed were also more likely to suffer from depression and ADHD.
The bottom line:
There appears to be a strong relationship between sleep problems and self-harm in teenagers. Hopefully addressing sleep issues in teenagers will be seen as a credible treatment option for those who self-harm.
Source: The British Journal of Psychiatry
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Last updated: August 24, 2015
