Association of Sleep Paralysis with PTSD Symptoms, Pathological Worry and Perceived Stress
Azal Ikhlaq
International Journal of Pulmonary & Respiratory Sciences March 8, 2021 DOI: 10.19080/ijoprs.2021.04.555648 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Undergraduate medical students in Pakistan |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Key findings | The authors report that 52.8% of surveyed Pakistani medical undergraduates frequently experienced sleep paralysis, with higher rates among females and adolescents. They report statistically significant correlations between sleep paralysis and PTSD symptoms, perceived stress, and pathological worry, and call for efforts to reduce factors causing anxiety and distress. |
Abstract
In the current study, we inspected the correlation between Sleep Paralysis and anxiety symptoms among undergraduate medical students of Pakistan. It was a questionnaire based cross-sectional study. Pre-tested, pre-designed questionnaires were administered to 100 participants and any association between sleep paralysis and PTSD symptoms, Perceived Stress, or Pathological worry was found. There was a positive correlation between Experience of Sleep Paralysis and PTSD Symptoms (d=0.319 and p=0.001), Pathological Worry and Sleep Paralysis (p=0.005 and d=0.270), and Perceived Stress and Sleep Paralysis (p<0.001 and r=-0.394). Pakistani population particularly medical undergraduates have a high prevalence (52.8%) of frequent experiences of sleep paralysis. Also, the high rate of occurrence among the females than males and higher rates in adolescents are particularly of concern. Statistically significant correlation between sleep paralysis and PTSD symptoms, PSS value, and PSWQ score is found. Efforts should be made to remove the factors responsible for anxiety and distress among masses.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessing the quality of publicly available videos on MDMA‐assisted psychotherapy for PTSD Videos on YouTube about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 100 |
| Perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy among Black Americans. Black and White American adults | 2023 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 294 |
| Coping motives mediate the relationship between PTSD and MDMA use in adolescents with substance use disorders German adolescent SUD patients aged 13–18 years at an outpatient clinic | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 111 |
| Risk factors of sleep paralysis in a population of Polish students. Polish university students under 35 | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 2,553 |
| Expert opinions on implementation of MDMA-assisted therapy in Europe: critical appraisal towards training, clinical practice, and regulation. Researchers and clinicians involved in MDMA-AT clinical trials and contributors to the... | 2024 | Survey | n = 68 |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Sleep paralysis and "the bedroom intruder": the role of the right superior parietal, phantom pain and body image projection. Medical Hypotheses December 1, 2014
- Explanations of sleep paralysis among Egyptian college students and the general population in Egypt and Denmark. Transcultural Psychiatry April 2014
- The assessment of the phenomenology of sleep paralysis: the Unusual Sleep Experiences Questionnaire (USEQ). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics 2009
- Sensed presence as a correlate of sleep paralysis distress, social anxiety and waking state social imagery. Consciousness and Cognition June 15, 2007
- 'The ghost pushes you down': sleep paralysis-type panic attacks in a Khmer refugee population. Transcultural Psychiatry March 1, 2005
and 3 more in the library