Sleep Paralysis in African Americans with Panic Disorder
Cheryl M. Paradis, Steven A. Friedman
Transcultural Psychiatry March 1, 2005 DOI: 10.1177/1363461505050720 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | African-American and white participants, including those with panic disorder and community volunteers |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | Recurrent sleep paralysis was more common among African Americans, particularly those with panic disorder (59% vs. 7% in whites with panic disorder). African Americans reported more early life stressors, and the authors suggest that psychosocial stressors such as poverty, racism, and acculturation may contribute to these higher rates. |
Abstract
Studies have reported a wide range in lifetime prevalence of sleep paralysis (SP). This variation may stem from cultural factors, stressful life events and genetic differences in studied populations. We found that recurrent SP was more common among African-American participants, especially those with panic disorder. Recurrent SP was reported by 59% of African Americans with panic disorder, 7% of whites with panic disorder, 23% of African-American community volunteers and 6% of white community volunteers. Significantly more early life stressors were reported by African Americans than whites. Higher levels of psychosocial stressors, including poverty, racism and acculturation, may contribute to the higher rates of SP experienced by African Americans.