Sleep paralysis and trauma, psychiatric symptoms and disorders in an adult African American population attending primary medical care.
Thomas A. Mellman, Notalelomwan Aigbogun, Ruth Elaine Graves, William B Lawson, Tanya N Alim
Depression and Anxiety 2008 DOI: 10.1002/da.20311 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 441 |
| Population | Adult African American primary care patients (mean age 40.0, SD 13.3; 68% female; 95% African American), with a subset of 142 trauma-exposed participants receiving diagnostic interviews |
| Measures | self-rated Hamilton Depression Scale, panic disorder screen, trauma exposure inventory, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Clinician Assessed PTSD Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression |
| Keywords | Humans Sleep paralysis Substance-related disorders Alcoholism Health surveys Cross-sectional studies Anxiety disorders Stress disorders, post-traumatic Comorbidity Adult Middle aged Primary health care Female Black people |
| Key findings | Fourteen percent of participants reported recent sleep paralysis, and about one-third of those episodes included panic symptoms. Sleep paralysis was strongly associated with trauma history and concurrent anxiety and mood symptoms, but not with specific psychiatric diagnoses other than lifetime alcohol or substance use disorders. The authors suggest sleep paralysis is not uncommon in adult African Americans and relates to trauma and concurrent distress rather than a specific diagnosis. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| The Role of Mindfulness and Psychological Flexibility in Somatization, Depression, Anxiety, and General Psychological Distress in a Nonclinical College Sample Ethnically diverse, nonclinical sample of college undergraduates (76% female) | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional survey | n = 494 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- A systematic review of variables associated with sleep paralysis Sleep Medicine Reviews June 8, 2017
- Risk factors of sleep paralysis in a population of Polish students. BMC Psychiatry June 7, 2022
- Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Sleeping Paralysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cureus 2024
- The clinical neuroscience of lucid dreaming. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews January 14, 2025
- Socially Distanced: An Exploratory Study of the Relationships Between Delusional Ideation and Social Imagery Under the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic Research Square November 15, 2022
and 6 more in the library
Cites 7
- One Explanatory Basis for the Discrepancy of Reported Prevalences of Sleep Paralysis among Healthy Respondents Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 1993
- Rates of isolated sleep paralysis in outpatients with anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 2006
- Sleep Paralysis in African Americans with Panic Disorder Transcultural Psychiatry March 1, 2005
- Sleep paralysis among Cambodian refugees: association with PTSD diagnosis and severity. Depression and Anxiety 2005
- Features of isolated sleep paralysis among Nigerians. East African Medical Journal October 1, 2004
and 2 more in the library