DSPS and Depression

I wake up scared, I wake up strange, and I wake up wondering ifanything in my life is ever gonna change.

- The Barenaked Ladies, What a GoodBoy

In the DSPS cases reported in the literature, about half of the patientshave been depressed or have had other psychological problems. The relationshipbetween DSPS and depression is unclear - it is probably unjustified to concludethat depression alone causes DSPS, since many patients are not depressed, andsince treatment methods such as chronotherapy can be effective without directlytreating the depression. It conceivable that DSPS often has a major role incausing depression, because it can be such a stressful and misunderstooddisorder. A direct neurochemical relationship between sleep mechanisms anddepression is another possiblity.

If you think you could have a psychological problem, get treatment for itAND for your sleep disorder - not necessarily from the same therapist. There issome evidence that effectively treating DSPS can improve the patient¹s mood(no surprise there) and make antidepressants more effective. In addition,treatment for your depression can make you more able to stay with a DSPStherapy. See: