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Insomnia as a Transdiagnostic Process in Psychiatric Disorders

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Abstract

Insomnia is a major public health concern, and is highly comorbid with a broad range of psychiatric disorders. Although insomnia has historically been considered a symptom of other disorders, this perspective has shifted. Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that insomnia is related to the onset and course of several psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, several randomized controlled trials show that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered to individuals who meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia and another psychiatric disorder improves the insomnia as well as the symptoms of the comorbid psychiatric disorder. Taken together, these results encompassing a range of methodologies have provided encouraging evidence and point toward insomnia as a transdiagnostic process in psychiatric disorders.

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Acknowledgments

This material is based on work supported by National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship DGE 1106400 awarded to L.D.A. and grant 1R01HD071065-01A1 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and National Institute of Mental Health Grant R34 MH080958 awarded to A.G.H.

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Conflict of Interest

Emily A. Dolsen, Lauren D. Asarnow, and Allison G. Harvey declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 2205 Tolman Hall #1650, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1650, USA

    Emily A. Dolsen, Lauren D. Asarnow & Allison G. Harvey

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  1. Emily A. Dolsen
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  2. Lauren D. Asarnow
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  3. Allison G. Harvey
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Correspondence to Allison G. Harvey.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sleep Disorders

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Dolsen, E.A., Asarnow, L.D. & Harvey, A.G. Insomnia as a Transdiagnostic Process in Psychiatric Disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep 16, 471 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-014-0471-y

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