Chronic sleep disruption induces depression-like behavior in adolescent male and female mice and sensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in adolescent female mice.

Depression is a prevalent mood disorder responsible for reduced quality of life for over 264 million people. Depression commonly develops during adolescence and becomes twice as prevalent in females than in males. However, the mechanisms underlying adolescent depression onset and sex differences in the prevalence rate remain unclear.