SIGNIFICANCE OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN SLEEP APNEA PATIENTS

Abstract

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a debilitating condition stemming from disruption to the respiratory system during sleep. At present, the nature of the relationship between OSA and mood, specifically depression and anxiety, is still unclear. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on this relationship. There is an urgent need to better understand the roles of psychological illness in OSA. Well-designed longitudinal studies are needed to examine temporal  relationships between the OSA, and psychological diseases and further research is needed to establish the role of confounders, and effect modifiers such as gender, in any apparent relationship. Sleep clinicians are advised to consider psychological diseases a likely cause of sleepiness and fatigue. Several possible causal mechanisms linking OSA, and depression have been proposed but not established. Patients who have depression as well as OSA appear worse off than those with OSA only, and depressive symptoms persist in at least some patients in short term studies of treatment for
OSA. Direct treatment of psychological diseases in OSA might improve acceptance of therapy, reduce sleepiness, and fatigue and improve quality of life, but intervention trials are required to answer this question.