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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Nightmares appears to a be an acute warning sign and risk factor for suicide, according to new research.
After accounting for the influence of depression, researchers found that severe nightmares were independently associated with elevated suicidal symptoms in patients who had sought emergency psychiatric evaluations.
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The study's authors said their findings emphasize the need for a more thorough assessment of sleep among acutely-ill patients as it may be an important opportunity for intervention.
Given that poor sleep is amenable to treatment, and less stigmatized than depression and suicide, our findings could impact standardized suicide risk assessment and prevention efforts, said principle investigator Rebecca Bernert, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Florida State University.
Sleep complaints are now listed among the top 10 warning signs of suicide, according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
SOURCE: Study presented on June 9, 2009 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies
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