Original Research: Treating Sleep Disorders Has Positive Outcomes in Psychiatric Illnesses

Introduction: Sleep and psychiatric disorders are common, and often co-morbid. Sleep disorders may predispose to development or exacerbation of psychiatric disorders. Authors hypothesized that treatment of sleep disorders improve outcomes in psychiatric illnesses. Methods: Charts of patients diagnosed with sleep disorders from October 2007 to December 2007 were reviewed. Outcomes in patients with co-morbid psychiatric disorders were recorded at 6, 12 and 24 months after initiation of sleep disorder treatment. These patients received a baseline psychiatric status score of 0. Change in status at each subsequent time point was scored as: ?2 (marked worsening), ?1 (mild worsening), 0 (no change), +1 (mild improvement) or +2 (marked improvement). We individually compared change in average score at each time point to baseline using the signed rank test. We compared provider documented compliance to sleep therapies between patients with and without psychiatric disorders using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Of 127 charts reviewed, 10 were excluded as patients died within follow-up period. No death was reported as suicide. Of 117 patients, 97.64% were men, 2.36% were women. Age range: 21 - 40: 7.69%, 41 - 60: 42.74%, 61 - 80: 47.87%, >81: 1.70%. 58 patients (45.67%) had coexistent psychiatric diagnoses. There was no difference in provider documented compliance rate to sleep therapies between patients with and without psychiatric disorders at 6, 12 and 24 months, (Fisher’s p value 0.1031, 0.2290 and 0.2248 respectively). Psychiatric status progressively improved compared to baseline (Change in average score by +0.45, +0.56, and +0.79 at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders did not affect compliance to sleep related treatment. Treatment of co-morbid sleep disorders is associated with improvement in psychiatric disorders. Authors recommend need for prospective study with more subjects.