Short sleep duration in prevalent and persistent psychological distress in young adults: The DRIVE study

Abstract

Objectives: Young people are sleeping less. Short sleep duration has a range of negative consequences including a hypothesized link with psychological distress, which has yet to be studied Design: Prospective cohort study Setting: Community-based sample from Australia Participants: Twenty thousand (20,822) young adults (aged 17-24) identified through the state vehicle licensing authority. A random sample (n = 5000) was approached for follow-up 12-18 months later, with 2937 providing full data. Main Outcome Measure: Psychological distress, determined by a Kessler 10 score > 21, at baseline; and as both onset and persistence of distress at follow-up. Results: Shorter sleep duration was linearl..