Complexités du diagnostic d’insomnie à l’adolescence et considérations à propos de ses conséquences

Abstract

Public health also has its own records. A report from Public Health France (2019) shows a decline in sleep time, which, for the first time, has fallen below seven hours. In the digital era, teenagers are susceptible to these changes: 88% of young people (15–24) are facing a lack of sleep. The causes of insomnia are multifactorial, and – even though they seem concerned with the potential consequences of the disorder – teenagers do not always complain directly. This could lead to an underestimation of screenings and diagnoses. Purpose of the studyThe objective was to explore the complexities of the diagnosis in adolescence and to understand the particularity of the links between this disorder and sleep time, drowsiness, aggressivity and anxio-depressive symptomatology. Population and methodA selection of standardised surveys, methodologically validated by ethics and deontology committees, was proposed to a population of 1250 French teenagers, high school and college students (12–20). It was mainly composed of the Insomnia Severity Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. ResultsThe results confirm a major proportion of insomnia in that population (54,9%, n=569) in comparison to a smaller portion of teenagers who have the perception of having insomnia (27,4%, n=284). The gap decreases with the severity of the insomnia. The results show a significant correlation between insomnia and anxio-depressive symptomatology and self-aggression; however, they show an insignificant relationship between diagnosis and sleep time, during the week and on weekends. The relationship between insomnia and daytime sleepiness is also very important. Finally, this research highlights the significant gap between the complaint of insomnia and the actual diagnosis. ConclusionThis study highlights the particularity of insomnia diagnosis for this population and the need to refine the criteria for prevention and screening. Insomnia during the teenager period cannot be defined solely by reference to the person's life or by time criteria.