The clock is ticking: A longitudinal multi-site study addressing teen sleep as a means to limit depression and anxiety

Adolescence is characterised by profound changes in brain development, sleep and circadian biology making this age group vulnerable to a variety of mental health challenges, which have the potential to persist into adulthood.

We propose a longitudinal study using a range of complimentary techniques to identify sleep- and circadian-related mechanisms through which adolescents may either develop, or demonstrate resilience to, depression and anxiety.

We will work with lived-experience experts from the design to implementation and dissemination phases to strengthen our approaches.

Critically, we will examine how the trajectory from sleep- and circadian-related changes to depression and anxiety during adolescence differs in lower, medium and higher income communities from a country in the global North (United Kingdom) and one in the global South (South Africa) so that the research findings are applicable across geographical, societal and cultural contexts.

The goals are to identify how (mechanisms) and when (during adolescent development) symptoms emerge, to guide future interventions that both prevent and provide early treatment of adolescent depression and anxiety, thereby reducing chronic adult depression and anxiety and reducing future burden of care on health services.