This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Paradis, C. M. Articles by Friedman, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Paradis, C. M. Articles by Friedman, S. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Panic Disorder Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Sleep Paralysis in African Americans with Panic Disorder

Marymount Manhattan College and State University of New York, cparadis{at}mmm.edu

Steven Friedman

State University of New York

Studies have reported a wide range in lifetime prevalence of sleep paralysis (SP). This variation may stem from cultural factors, stressful life events and genetic differences in studied populations. We found that recurrent SP was more common among African-American participants, especially those with panic disorder. Recurrent SP was reported by 59% of African Americans with panic disorder, 7% of whites with panic disorder, 23% of African-American community volunteers and 6% of white community volunteers. Significantly more early life stressors were reported by African Americans than whites. Higher levels of psychosocial stressors, including poverty, racism and acculturation, may contribute to the higher rates of SP experienced by African Americans.

Key Words: African American • Afro-Caribbean • ethnicity • panic disorder • sleep paralysis

Transcultural Psychiatry, Vol. 42, No. 1, 123-134 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1363461505050720


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Gangdev Comments on Sleep Paralysis Transcultural Psychiatry, December 1, 2006; 43(4): 692 - 694. [PDF]

				A. Yeung, Y. Xu, and D. F. Chang Prevalence and Illness Beliefs of Sleep Paralysis among Chinese Psychiatric Patients in China and the United States Transcultural Psychiatry, March 1, 2005; 42(1): 135 - 145. [Abstract] [PDF]