Sleep-Deprived NYC Teens More Likely To Be Depressed, Study Shows

NEW YORK, NY — New York City teens who don't get enough sleep are more likely to get depressed or consider committing suicide, a Department of Health study found. That's a substantial group — 75 percent of city students aged 13 to 18 reported getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep, according to the report published Wednesday.

Some 33 percent of those sleep-deprived teens reported feeling sad or hopeless for at least two weeks, compared with just 21 percent of those who slept at least eight hours a night, the study found. The DOH report drew on a pair of 2015 surveys of New York City school-age kids and teenagers.

About 15 percent of teens lacking sleep hurt themselves or thought seriously about suicide, and 8 percent actually committed suicide. But just 11 percent of those who got enough sleep injured themselves, 9 percent considered sucidie and 6 percent committed suicide.

"New York is well known as the city that doesn’t sleep, but for our school children and adolescents, getting adequate sleep is a key part of maintaining emotional and physical wellbeing," Dr. Mary T. Bassett, the city health commissioner, said in a statement.

The study also found links between a lack of sleep and behavior problems among 6- to 12-year-olds. About 11 percent of those kids don't get the necessary nine hours of sleep each night. Some 29 percent of them reported behavioral and emotional problems, compared with 10 percent of kids who sleep enough.

Too much time watching TV or playing on a computer made it harder for those young kids to sleep, the study found. Only 4 percent of those who spent at least two hours in front of a screen got enough sleep, while more than three times as many — 14 percent — reported a lack of sleep.

About 66 percent of kids ages 6 to 12 and 53 percent of teens spend an "excessive" amount of time in front of a screen, the study says — at least two hours for young kids and and at least four hours for teens.

Health officials touted the city's ThriveNYC initiative, which offers a suite of programs to help New Yorkers young and old connect with mental health resources. The Young Mental Health First Aid program, for example, trains people to recognize and respond to potential problems in 12- to 18-year-olds.

"As the City expands mental health services through ThriveNYC, we ask parents to work with us in making sure our children spend less time on electronic devices and more time on getting a full night’s rest," Bassett said.

(Lead image by StockSnap via Pixabay)