Sleep and Mental Illness
At any one time, 16 per cent of adults in the UK have a common mental disorder, while 1 per cent has a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Mental disorders are estimated to become the biggest cause of disability by 2030. A recent study by the European Brain Council estimated the cost of brain disorders to Europe alone at €800 billion in 2010. A striking, long-recognised and diagnostic feature of mental illness is SCRD and poor health. Although clinically recognised, the precise nature, causes and effects of SCRD in mental illness are poorly defined, and its treatment invariably neglected.
We aim to:
- Define the nature of SCRD in mental illness,
- Address the causal relationships between SCRD and mental illness
- Develop techniques for early intervention, and hence the very real possibility of the prevention of some forms of psychiatric illness.