Research Article

Isolated sleep paralysis and fearful isolated sleep paralysis in outpatients with panic attacks†‡

  1. Brian A. Sharpless1,*,
  2. Kevin S. McCarthy2,
  3. Dianne L. Chambless2,
  4. Barbara L. Milrod3,
  5. Shabad-Ratan Khalsa4,
  6. Jacques P. Barber4

Article first published online: 16 AUG 2010

DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20724

Issue

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Volume 66, Issue 12, pages 1292–1306, December 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Sharpless, B. A., McCarthy, K. S., Chambless, D. L., Milrod, B. L., Khalsa, S.-R. and Barber, J. P. (2010), Isolated sleep paralysis and fearful isolated sleep paralysis in outpatients with panic attacks. J. Clin. Psychol., 66: 1292–1306. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20724

Author Information

  1. 1

    Pennsylvania State University

  2. 2

    University of Pennsylvania

  3. 3

    Weill Cornell Medical College

  4. 4

    University of Pennsylvania

*Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 314 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802

  • †

    Supported in part by NIMH R01 MH 070664 (held by Jacques Barber) and NIMH R01 MH070918 (held by Barbara Milrod).

  • ‡

    The authors would like to thank Taylor DiGravina, Libby Graf, Julia Hormes, Sarah Kay, Jared Minkel, Rachel Simmons, and Tempe Watts.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 NOV 2010
  2. Article first published online: 16 AUG 2010

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Keywords:

  • sleep paralysis;
  • isolated sleep paralysis;
  • panic disorder;
  • anxiety;
  • fear;
  • parasomnia;
  • sleep disorder

Abstract

Isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) has received scant attention in clinical populations, and there has been little empirical consideration of the role of fear in ISP episodes. To facilitate research and clinical work in this area, the authors developed a reliable semistructured interview (the Fearful Isolated Sleep Paralysis Interview) to assess ISP and their proposed fearful ISP (FISP) episode criteria in 133 patients presenting for panic disorder treatment. Of these, 29.3% met lifetime ISP episode criteria, 20.3% met the authors' lifetime FISP episode criteria, and 12.8% met their recurrent FISP criteria. Both ISP and FISP were associated with minority status and comorbidity. However, only FISP was significantly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, body mass, anxiety sensitivity, and mood and anxiety disorder symptomatology. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 66:1–15, 2010.

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