Jaime M Hughes

Insomnia and Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among Women Veterans

Women will account for 10% of the Veteran population by 2020, yet there has been little focus on sleep issues among women Veterans. In a descriptive study of 107 women Veterans with insomnia (mean age = 49 years, 44% non-Hispanic white), 55% had probable post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (total score ≥33). Probable PTSD was related to more severe self-reported sleep disruption and greater psychological distress. In a regression model, higher PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C) total score was a significant independent predictor of worse insomnia severity index score while other factors were not. Women Veterans preferred behavioral treatments over pharmacotherapy in general, and efforts to increase the availability of such treatments should be undertaken. Further research is needed to better understand the complex relationship between insomnia and PTSD among women Veterans.

A Four-Session Sleep Intervention Program Improves Sleep for Older Adult Day Health Care Participants: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Objective To test the effectiveness of a 4‐week behavioral Sleep Intervention Program (SIP: sleep compression, modified stimulus control, and sleep hygiene) compared to a 4‐week information‐only control (IC) among older adults attending a VA Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program in a double‐blind, randomized, clinical trial. Methods Forty‐two individuals (mean age: 77 years, 93% male) enrolled in a VA ADHC program were randomized to receive SIP or IC. All completed in‐person sleep and health assessments at baseline, post‐treatment and 4‐months follow‐up that included 3 days/nights of wrist actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Mixed repeated measures analysis was used to compare sleep outcomes at post‐treatment and 4‐months follow‐up, with baseline values as covariates. Results SIP participants (n = 21) showed significant improvement on actigraphy sleep efficiency (p = .007), number of nighttime awakenings (p = .016), and minutes awake at night (p = .001) at post‐treatment, compared to IC participants (n = 21). Benefits were slightly attenuated but remained significant at 4‐month follow‐up (all ps < .05). There were no differences in total sleep time between groups. There was significant improvement on PSQI factor 3 (daily disturbances) at 4‐month follow‐up (p = .016), but no differences were observed between SIP and IC on other PSQI components or ISI scores at post‐treatment or 4‐month follow‐up. Conclusions A short behavioral sleep intervention may have important benefits in improving objectively measured sleep in older adults participating in ADHC. Future studies are needed to study implementation of this intervention into routine clinical care within ADHC.

Sleep Characteristics of Veterans Affairs Adult Day Health Care Participants

Addressing sleep disturbance can help to slow functional decline, delay nursing home admission, and improve overall health among older adults; however, sleep is not widely studied in high-risk older adults such as Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) participants. Sixty-eight ADHC participants were interviewed for sleep disturbance using a 28-item screening questionnaire. More than two thirds (n = 48, 70.6%) reported one or more characteristics of poor sleep, and 38% of participants met basic criteria for insomnia. Individuals with insomnia attended ADHC less frequently, reported worse sleep quality and shorter sleep duration, and were more likely to endorse trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up too early (ps < 0.001). Research is needed to better understand perceptions, predictors, and outcomes of sleep disturbance within ADHC participants.

Validation of a Self-Monitoring Tool for Use in Exercise Therapy

Aerobic exercise at a subsymptom heart rate has been recommended as therapy for postconcussion syndrome. Assessing adherence with an accurate heart rate‐monitoring instrument is difficult, limiting the proliferation of large‐scale randomized controlled trials.

Measuring Sleep in Vulnerable Older Adults: A Comparison of Subjective and Objective Sleep Measures

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study compared subjective (questionnaire) and objective (actigraphy) sleep assessments, and examined agreement between these methods, in vulnerable older adults participating in a Veterans Administration Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program. Methods: 59 ADHC participants (95% male, mean age = 78 years) completed sleep questionnaires and 72 continuous hours of wrist actigraphy. Linear regression was used to examine agreement between methods and explore discrepancies in subjective/objective measures. Results: Disturbed sleep was common, yet there was no agreement between subjective and objective sleep assessment methods. Compared with objective measures, one-half of participants reported worse sleep efficiency (SE) on questionnaires while one-quarter over-estimated SE. Participants reporting worse pain had a greater discrepancy between subjective and objective SE. Conclusions: Vulnerable older adults demonstrated unique patterns of reporting sleep quality when comparing subjective and objective methods. Additional research is needed to better understand how vulnerable older adults evaluate sleep problems. Clinical Implications: Objective and subjective sleep measures may represent unique and equally important constructs in this population. Clinicians should consider utilizing both objective and subjective sleep measures to identify individuals who may benefit from behavioral sleep treatments, and future research is needed to develop and validate appropriate sleep assessments for vulnerable older adults.

Sleep, resilience, and psychological distress in United States military Veterans

ABSTRACT Sleep problems are prevalent among Veterans. Left untreated, such problems may elevate psychological distress and increase risk of subsequent mental health disorders. Psychological resilience may buffer against negative psychological outcomes, yet the relationship between sleep and resilience has not been studied. This study explored poor sleep, resilience, and psychological distress using questionnaires collected as part of the Study of Post-Deployment Mental Health. Participants (N = 1,118) had served in the US military since September 11, 2001, had one or more overseas deployments, and were free from a past-month DSM-defined mental health disorder. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the association between poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score) and psychological distress (Global Symptom Index; Symptom Checklist-90-R), controlling for demographic and health characteristics. Moderation analyses tested for a potential buffering effect of resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). Poor sleeping Veterans had worse physical and psychological health, lower resilience, and endorsed more lifetime traumatic events. Poor sleep was associated with greater psychological distress controlling for health and demographic characteristics. Both resilience factors—adaptability and self-efficacy—had significant buffering effects on the relationship between poor sleep and psychological distress, suggesting that resilience may protect against negative outcomes in poor sleepers. Additional research is warranted to better understand the relationships between sleep, resilience, and psychological distress. Such research may inform pertinent prevention efforts, including interventions that improve sleep, enhance resilience, and protect against incident mental health diagnoses.

Insomnia in United States military veterans: An integrated theoretical model

Marked by difficulty falling or staying asleep and/or poor sleep leading to daytime dysfunction, insomnia contributes to functional impairment, poor health, and increased healthcare utilization when left untreated. As many as two-thirds of Iraq and Afghanistan military veterans complain of insomnia. Older veterans of prior conflicts report insomnia occurring since initial service, suggesting a chronic nature to insomnia in this population. Despite insomnias high prevalence and severe consequences, there is no theoretical model to explain either the onset or chronicity of insomnia in this growing patient population. Existing theories view insomnia as an acute, unidirectional phenomenon and do little to elucidate long-term consequences of such problems. Existing theories also fail to address mechanisms by which acute insomnia becomes chronic. This paper presents an original, integrated theoretical model that draws upon constructs from several prominent behavioral medicine theories to reconceptualize insomnia as a chronic, cyclical problem that is both a consequence and predictor of stress. Additional research examining the relationships between stress, sleep, resilience, and outcomes of interest could inform clinical and research practices. Addressing sleep problems early could potentially enhance adaptive capacity, thereby reducing the risk for subsequent negative outcomes.