0918 Quebec Adolescents’ Insomnia Symptoms, Mental Health & Access to Sleep Care

Abstract

Introduction: Our school boards are part of the Quebec Center Of Excellence For Mental Health, and are thus mandated to identify and then prevent/treat factors that could negatively affect the mental health of their students. As part of this mission, we conducted a study that aimed 1) to examine the prevalence of insomnia in typically developing students in Quebec and their associations with students' mental health, and; 2) to assess student access to behavioral sleep interventions in Quebec. Methods: 145 (Age 15.53+1; 75 Girls, 70 Boys) typically developing students. Insomnia symptoms were measured using the Insomnia Severity Index. Sleep was measured by Actigraphy. The Youth Self Report was used to measure students mental health. Access to care was measured using a detailed questionnaire. Results: The key findings were: 1) 45% of the students reported poor sleep quality, dysfunction during the day due to sleepiness, difficulty falling or staying asleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Total scores on self-reports sleep measures were positively significantly correlated with Actigraphy measures of sleep duration and quality and with each other; 2) Robust positive associations were found between insomnia and psychiatric symptoms after adjusting for common risk factors, including age, socioeconomic status, and gender; 3) None of the students had access to sleep care and 25% of them reported using over-the counter sleep aids with minimal success. Conclusion: These findings are alarming because they show that: 1) insomnia symptoms are prevalent in Quebec students and are strongly associated with the symptomatology of mental distress in students who do not meet the diagnostic criteria of a psychological disorder, and; 2) these students do not have access to insomnia care. These findings suggest that treatment of insomnia could offer an incredible opportunity to protect and improve the sleep and the mental health of these students.