Courtney B Worley, Sarah Meshberg-Cohen, Ian C Fischer, Robert H Pietrzak
{"title":"Trauma-related nightmares among U.S. veterans: Findings from a nationally representative study.","authors":"Courtney B Worley, Sarah Meshberg-Cohen, Ian C Fischer, Robert H Pietrzak","doi":"10.1016/j.sleep.2024.11.031","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Study objectives: </strong>Trauma-exposed veterans may be at an increased risk for nightmares. To date, however, no known study has examined the prevalence, risk factors, and comorbidities of nightmares in a nationally representative sample of veterans.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nationally representative sample of 4069 US military veterans completed a survey that assessed trauma-related nightmares, health histories, and functioning. Multivariable analyses examined the association between trauma-related nightmares, and sociodemographic, military, and trauma characteristics, and psychiatric and functioning measures.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Lifetime trauma-related nightmares were endorsed by 15.0 % of the sample, with 6.4 % endorsing nightmares in the past month. Sociodemographic factors, exposure to adverse childhood events, number of deployments, and index trauma type were all associated with trauma-related nightmares. In addition, nightmares were associated with elevated odds of psychiatric conditions, worse health and psychosocial functioning, and suicidal ideation and future suicidal intent. A \"dose-response\" association was observed between nightmare severity and suicidal ideation, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, trauma exposure, and psychiatric and medical conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Nearly 1-in-6 veterans experience trauma-related nightmares in their lifetime, which is associated with adverse mental health, functional difficulties, and increased suicide risk. Results underscore the importance of transdiagnostic assessment, monitoring, and treatment of trauma-related nightmares in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":21874,"journal":{"name":"Sleep medicine","volume":"126 ","pages":"159-166"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Sleep medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.11.031","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Trauma-related nightmares among U.S. veterans: Findings from a nationally representative study.
Study objectives: Trauma-exposed veterans may be at an increased risk for nightmares. To date, however, no known study has examined the prevalence, risk factors, and comorbidities of nightmares in a nationally representative sample of veterans.
Methods: A nationally representative sample of 4069 US military veterans completed a survey that assessed trauma-related nightmares, health histories, and functioning. Multivariable analyses examined the association between trauma-related nightmares, and sociodemographic, military, and trauma characteristics, and psychiatric and functioning measures.
Results: Lifetime trauma-related nightmares were endorsed by 15.0 % of the sample, with 6.4 % endorsing nightmares in the past month. Sociodemographic factors, exposure to adverse childhood events, number of deployments, and index trauma type were all associated with trauma-related nightmares. In addition, nightmares were associated with elevated odds of psychiatric conditions, worse health and psychosocial functioning, and suicidal ideation and future suicidal intent. A "dose-response" association was observed between nightmare severity and suicidal ideation, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, trauma exposure, and psychiatric and medical conditions.
Conclusions: Nearly 1-in-6 veterans experience trauma-related nightmares in their lifetime, which is associated with adverse mental health, functional difficulties, and increased suicide risk. Results underscore the importance of transdiagnostic assessment, monitoring, and treatment of trauma-related nightmares in this population.
期刊介绍:
Sleep Medicine aims to be a journal no one involved in clinical sleep medicine can do without.
A journal primarily focussing on the human aspects of sleep, integrating the various disciplines that are involved in sleep medicine: neurology, clinical neurophysiology, internal medicine (particularly pulmonology and cardiology), psychology, psychiatry, sleep technology, pediatrics, neurosurgery, otorhinolaryngology, and dentistry.
The journal publishes the following types of articles: Reviews (also intended as a way to bridge the gap between basic sleep research and clinical relevance); Original Research Articles; Full-length articles; Brief communications; Controversies; Case reports; Letters to the Editor; Journal search and commentaries; Book reviews; Meeting announcements; Listing of relevant organisations plus web sites.