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The Link Between Suicide and Insomnia: Theoretical Mechanisms

  • Sleep Disorders (RM Benca, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Insomnia has been established as a risk factor for depression and mental illness for decades, but a growing body of evidence has recently exposed insomnia to be an independent risk factor for suicide that encompasses all age ranges. This discovery has invigorated investigation to elucidate the relationship between insomnia and suicide, and over 20 studies reinforcing this association in adults have been published since 2010 alone. This article analyzes relevant research and emphasizes studies published within the last three years with the intent of proposing theoretical mechanisms explaining the link between suicide and insomnia. These mechanisms may then be used as targets for future investigation of treatment.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant MH095776-01A1.

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Conflict of Interest

W. Vaughn McCall has received compensation from Luitpold Pharmaceuticals for serving as a consultant, has received royalties from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins for serving as editor for The Journal of ECT, and has received compensation from CME for development of educational presentations.

Carmen G. Black declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA

    W. Vaughn McCall

  2. Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA

    Carmen G. Black

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  1. W. Vaughn McCall
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  2. Carmen G. Black
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Correspondence to W. Vaughn McCall.

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McCall, W.V., Black, C.G. The Link Between Suicide and Insomnia: Theoretical Mechanisms. Curr Psychiatry Rep 15, 389 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-013-0389-9

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