Sleep and Circadian Health in Adolescents
A Mental-Health Participation Study
Funded by
What is the aim of our study?
To understand whether changes in sleep and the body’s 24h clock during the teen years might be linked to the development of depression or anxiety.
The goals are to find out how and when any sleep and body clock related factors might either exacerbate or be protective against the emergence of anxiety or depression.
How will we do this?
We will measure the patterns, structure, and quality of sleep and the timing of the 24h clock; assess symptoms of mood and anxiety; and assess a gene variant linked to the 24h clock and sleep in teenagers from a range of settings in South Africa and the UK.
The goals are to find out how and when any sleep and body clock related factors might either exacerbate or be protective against the emergence of anxiety or depression.
Because of marked changes in brain development, sleep and the biology of the 24h body clock, teenagers are vulnerable to many mental health challenges that may persist into adulthood.
If we can identify key risk factors linked to the emergence of depression or anxiety, we can intervene to protect the mental health of teens in the future