Myth: Insomnia is not a risk factor for suicide attempts.
Truth: This is false.
About 800,000 people die globally every year from suicide. Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which individuals have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Many studies suggest that there is a strong relationship between insomnia and suicide attempts and deaths for young adults. A study published in the BMC Psychiatry journal evaluated the relationship between insomnia and suicide. The study was conducted in Taiwan and consisted of inpatients ages 15 and over who were newly diagnosed with insomnia.
The study concluded that insomnia is a risk factor for suicide attempts after considering other risk factors such as mental illness, or drug and alcohol dependence. To read more about this study click here.
Reference
- Lin, H. T., Lai, C. H., Perng, H. J., Chung, C. H., Wang, C. C., Chen, W. L., & Chien, W. C. (2018). Insomnia as an independent predictor of suicide attempts: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 117. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1702-2
