Sleep and Alcohol Use Among Veterans Living With Long COVID.

OBJECTIVES: Study objectives were to: (1) better understand sleep experiences and unhealthy alcohol use among Veterans with long COVID and (2) explore providers' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to delivering evidence-based care for sleep problems and unhealthy alcohol use in patients with long COVID. METHODS: VA electronic health records were used to conduct chart reviews (n = 57) of patients evaluated in a VA COVID-19 Recovery Clinic during 1 calendar year; semi-structured interviews were completed with Veterans (n = 5) and clinicians (n = 7) recruited from the clinic. Veteran participants also completed quantitative, self-report measures assessing sleep- and alcohol-related experiences and behaviors. RESULTS: Data from chart reviews and interviews suggested that Veterans with long COVID often had pre-existing sleep problems that were exacerbated during long COVID. Patients and providers agreed that sleep interventions would be beneficial and acceptable in the COVID-19 Recovery clinic. Conversely, few Veterans with long COVID had a pre-existing alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis; alcohol use occurred less frequently and was less often discussed between patients and providers. Providers had mixed viewpoints on delivering alcohol-related care in the clinic; some were highly amenable, others were unsure whether patients would be receptive. CONCLUSIONS: This study is among the first to take a mixed-method approach to understanding experiences of sleep-wake behaviors and unhealthy alcohol use in Veterans with long COVID. Characterizing sleep and alcohol-related experiences, examining associations with functioning, and exploring perspectives on treatment approaches is critical to support efforts to refine, personalize, and optimize evidence-based sleep and alcohol care for Veterans living with long COVID.

Schizotypy Moderates the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Social Cognition.

ABSTRACT: Poor sleep quality has been tied to worse social cognition. Social cognitive deficits have been noted in those with high schizotypy. Yet, no study has assessed whether schizotypy moderates the relationship between sleep quality and social cognition, which may be vital to our understanding of contributors to social functioning. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of associations of sleep quality and social cognition, with potential moderation by schizotypy. Participants ( n = 906) completed self-report measures of schizotypy, sleep quality, and social cognition. Levels of schizotypy significantly moderated some of the relationships between sleep and social cognition. For participants low in total or interpersonal schizotypy, worse sleep quality was associated with worse theory of mind scores. For participants low in total, disorganized, or cognitive perceptual schizotypy, worse sleep quality was associated with worse self-reported cognitive empathy. For those high in these facets of schizotypy, worse sleep quality was associated with better self-reported cognitive empathy. These results suggest that the individual facets of schizotypy provide additional information and, therefore, are important to assess when examining social cognition and sleep.

Identifying predictors of the amount of veteran participation in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in the Veterans Affairs health care system.

Insomnia is a prevalent and negatively impactful disorder among veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has committed significant resources to the development and dissemination of training related to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the recommended first-line intervention for chronic insomnia disorder. It has been established that VA clinicians can be effectively trained to deliver high fidelity CBT-I and that treatment results in significant improvements in insomnia. However, there is a paucity of research examining rates and predictors of veterans' participation in CBT-I in routine VA clinical care. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from VA electronic health records (EHR) to determine individual predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with CBT-I participation. The sample included veterans who had at least one CBT-I templated note from the VA mid-Atlantic region of the United States (VISN4) between 2015 and 2019 in their chart (N = 2,801). CBT-I participation was defined by number of CBT-I templated notes occurring within a 6-month period from the initial note. Findings indicated that veterans most often completed only one session of CBT-I and, on average, completed approximately three sessions. Results from multinomial logistic regression identified significant associations of race, the presence of comorbid mental health disorders, rurality, presence of insomnia diagnosis, and insomnia medication with CBT-I participation; associations varied depending on how CBT-I participation was defined. More work is needed to better understand factors contributing to participation and reasons for completion and noncompletion of CBT-I. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

A longitudinal examination of psychosocial mechanisms linking discrimination with objective and subjective sleep.

OBJECTIVE: Although chronic discrimination negatively impacts sleep, the cross-sectional nature of most research limits the understanding of how changes in discrimination over time are associated with sleep health. Therefore, the aims of this study were to explore the: (1) longitudinal association between daily discrimination and subjective and objective sleep; (2) mediating roles of anxiety and social well-being; and (3) moderating role of change in discrimination over time. METHODS: An archival analysis was completed using data from the Midlife in the United States study across 3 timepoints. Participants were primarily female-identifying, white, and college-educated. Measures included Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (N = 958), sleep diaries (N = 307), and actigraphy (N = 304). Daily discrimination, the Social Well-Being Scale, and the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire were also administered. Moderated parallel mediations were performed using the PROCESS macro controlling for depressive symptoms. RESULTS: More discrimination at time 1 was associated with worse global sleep quality (b = 0.10 and p = .001) and daily sleep quality (b = 0.03 and p = .02) and worse objective sleep-onset latency (b = 0.93 and p = .02), wake after sleep onset (b = 1.09 and p = .002), and sleep efficiency (b = -0.52 and p < .001) at time 3. Social well-being mediated the associations between discrimination and subjective global sleep quality 95% CI [0.00, 0.03] and daily sleep quality 95% CI [0.00, 0.01] and objective TST 95% CI [0.00, 0.96] when discrimination was increasing or chronic. Anxiety mediated the discrimination-global sleep quality association regardless of changes in discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Discrimination showed durable associations with a broad array of sleep outcomes across a 10-year period. Anxiety and social well-being linked discrimination to subjective sleep outcomes, illustrating the importance of psychosocial well-being for sleep health in those experiencing discrimination.

Insomnia symptoms and postoperative healthcare utilization in veterans undergoing decompressive laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Study Objectives: Lumbar spinal stenosis is an age-related spine condition that contributes to pain and disability. Decompressive laminectomy (DL) is regularly performed to alleviate symptoms. Insomnia symptoms are common among people living with chronic pain and may affect key DL outcomes, such as healthcare utilization. We examined associations of insomnia symptom severity with post-DL healthcare utilization in veterans with lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: Veterans (N = 200) with lumbar spinal stenosis undergoing DL were recruited into a prospective cohort study and self-reported insomnia symptom severity on the Insomnia Severity Index prior to DL. Post-DL, veterans reported on pain and non-pain-related monthly healthcare office visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and mental health visits for 1 year. Incident rate ratios (IRRs) obtained via negative binomial regression evaluated associations of insomnia symptom severity with healthcare utilization rates. Results: Approximately 51% of participants endorsed insomnia symptoms of at least mild severity. Participants who reported at least mild insomnia symptoms had more healthcare office visits (IRR = 1.23, p = .04), general mental health visits (IRR = 3.98, p < .0001), and pain-related mental health visits (IRR = 9.55, p = .01) than those without insomnia symptoms. Adjusting for covariates, rates of mental health visits, overall (IRR = 3.13, p = .001) and pain-related (IRR = 6.93, p = .02), remained statistically significantly higher. Conclusions: Insomnia symptoms are associated with postoperative healthcare utilization lending support for future work to examine the value of assessing and intervening on insomnia symptoms prelaminectomy.

Sleep disorders in veterans with serious mental illnesses: prevalence in Veterans Affairs health record data.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the 12-month prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders among veterans with and without serious mental illnesses (SMI) in Veterans Affairs health record data in 2019. We also examined diagnosed sleep disorders across a 9-year period and explored associations with demographic and health factors. METHODS: This study used health record data from VISN 4 of the Veterans Health Administration from 2011 to 2019. SMI diagnoses included schizophrenia and bipolar spectrum diagnoses as well as major depression with psychosis. Sleep diagnoses included insomnias, hypersomnias, sleep-related breathing disorders, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, and sleep-related movement disorders. Demographic and health-related factors were also collected from the record. RESULTS: In 2019, 21.8% of veterans with SMI were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. This is a significantly higher proportion than for veterans without SMI, 15.1% of whom were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Sleep disorder rates were highest in veterans with a chart diagnosis of major depression with psychosis. From 2011 to 2019, the overall prevalence of sleep disorders in veterans with SMI more than doubled (10.2%-21.8%), suggesting improvements in the detection and diagnosis of sleep concerns for this group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that identification and diagnosis of sleep disorders for veterans with SMI has improved over the past decade, though diagnoses still likely underrepresent actual prevalence of clinically relevant sleep concerns. Sleep concerns may be at particularly high risk of going untreated in veterans with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. CITATION: Bonfils KA, Longenecker JM, Soreca I, et al. Sleep disorders in veterans with serious mental illnesses: prevalence in Veterans Affairs health record data. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(9):1651-1660.

Prevalence, Impact, and Trajectories of Sleep Disturbance in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A NARRATIVE REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS FOR EVALUATION AND TREATMENT.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to summarize literature examining the prevalence, impact, and trajectories of sleep disturbance in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients and discuss how CR programs may incorporate targeted evaluation and interventions to promote sleep health. REVIEW METHODS: A narrative review of literature allowed for an examination of the prevalence of sleep disturbance in CR patients, the effects of sleep disturbance on CR outcomes, and trajectories of sleep disturbance in CR. SUMMARY: Sleep disturbance is prevalent in CR patient populations and is related to clinical and functional outcomes. Sleep may be an important biobehavioral process to target in CR to improve important patient outcomes and achieve secondary prevention goals.

Links between Savoring, Rumination, and Sleep-Related Experiences across Adulthood: Implications for Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep problems are pervasive, particularly in older adults. Much work examines psychological factors that adversely affect sleep; fewer studies examine those with a positive effect. Savoring is a form of positive repetitive thought that is linked to several aspects of health but has been understudied in relation to sleep. We examined cross-sectional associations of both savoring and rumination with subjective sleep experiences, and assessed if these associations vary by age. METHODS: Adults and older adults (N = 216) ranging from 20-80 years in age (M = 44.9 ± 15.6 years) completed an online survey of validated measures of savoring, rumination, sleep disturbance, and sleep-related impairment. RESULTS: Higher levels of savoring were significantly associated with lower levels of sleep-related impairment but not sleep disturbance in regression analyses. Higher levels of rumination were significantly associated with higher levels of sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment. Associations of savoring and rumination with sleep-related experiences did not vary by age. CONCLUSIONS: Savoring and rumination are relevant to sleep-related experiences in adults ranging from younger to older. Further investigation of the potential positive impact of savoring on sleep-related experiences is needed. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Engagement in savoring and rumination should be considered when assessing sleep and sleep-related impairment in adults.

Insomnia and Insomnia-Related Care in the Department of Veterans Affairs: An Electronic Health Record Analysis.

The objective was to examine insomnia and insomnia-related care within a regional network of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities since the VA roll-out of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in 2011. A retrospective analysis of VA electronic health records (EHR) data from 2011 to 2019 was conducted. The annual and overall prevalence of four insomnia indicators was measured: diagnoses, medications, consultations for assessment/treatment, and participation in CBT-I. Also examined were sociodemographic and clinical differences among veterans with and without an insomnia indicator, as well as differences among the four individual insomnia indicators. The sample included 439,887 veterans, with 17% identified by one of the four indicators; medications was most common (15%), followed by diagnoses (6%), consults (1.5%), and CBT-I (0.6%). Trends over time included increasing yearly rates for diagnoses, consults, and CBT-I, and decreasing rates for medications. Significant differences were identified between the sociodemographic and clinical variables across indicators. An evaluation of a large sample of veterans identified that prescription sleep medications remain the best way to identify veterans with insomnia. Furthermore, insomnia continues to be under-diagnosed, per VA EHR data, which may have implications for treatment consistent with clinical practice guidelines and may negatively impact veteran health.

Multidimensional Sleep Health and Physical Functioning in Older Adults.

Objective: To examine the association between multidimensional sleep health and objective measures of physical functioning in older adults. Method: We conducted a secondary analysis of 158 adults ≥65 years who participated in Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) 2 and MIDUS Refresher studies. Physical functioning was assessed using gait speed during a 50-foot timed walk, lower extremity strength via chair stand test, and grip strength via hand-held dynamometers. Composite multidimensional sleep health scores were derived from 1 week of sleep diaries and wrist actigraphy. Results: Multiple linear regression was used to examine the associations between multidimensional sleep health and physical functioning measures. In adjusted regression analyses, multidimensional sleep health was significantly positively associated with gait speed but not lower extremity strength or grip strength. Discussion: These findings suggest multidimensional sleep health may contribute to physical functioning in older adults. Longitudinal examinations are needed to determine the value of multidimensional sleep health as a therapeutic target to optimize physical functioning.

Geropsychology career pipeline perceptions.

OBJECTIVE: Using the framework of Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study aimed to ascertain attitudes and perceptions of geropsychology career paths, given the present notable geriatric workforce shortage. METHODS: An online survey was developed iteratively and disseminated through various modalities (i.e., internet, email, word-of-mouth). Participants included 28 predoctoral and 76 professional geropsychologists (N = 107; age M = 39.18, SD = 12.05). The sample was largely female (72%), non-Hispanic White (89%), and has or was working towards their PhD (82%). RESULTS: Results delineate attractive and unattractive aspects of common career options (academic, clinical Veterans Affairs [VA], clinical non-VA), and assessed the hypothetical proclivity and feasibility of switching between academic and clinically focused careers. The results found gender (women vs. men) and career stages (predoctoral vs. professional) to be significant contributors to career perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: The present study advances past literature by unveiling potential avenues to ameliorate this workforce shortage within both clinical and academic fields in geropsychology.

Pain Catastrophizing and Arthritis Self-Efficacy as Mediators of Sleep Disturbance and Osteoarthritis Symptom Severity.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep and pain-related experiences are consistently associated, but the pathways linking these experiences are not well understood. We evaluated whether pain catastrophizing and arthritis self-efficacy mediate the association between sleep disturbance and osteoarthritis (OA) symptom severity in patients with knee OA. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data collected from Veterans Affairs (VA) patients enrolled in a clinical trial examining the effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention in managing pain from knee OA. Participants indicated how often in the past two weeks they were bothered by trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much. We used validated scales to assess the primary outcome (OA symptom severity) and potential mediators (arthritis self-efficacy and pain catastrophizing). To test the proposed mediation model, we used parallel multiple mediation analyses with bootstrapping, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with bivariate associations with OA symptom severity. RESULTS: The sample included 517 patients (Mage = 64 years, 72.9% male, 52.2% African American). On average, participants reported experiencing sleep disturbance at least several days in the past two weeks (M = 1.41, SD = 1.18) and reported moderate OA symptom severity (M = 48.22, SD = 16.36). More frequent sleep disturbance was associated with higher OA symptom severity directly (b = 3.08, P <0.001) and indirectly, through higher pain catastrophizing (b = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20 to 1.11) and lower arthritis self-efficacy (b = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.42 to 1.42). CONCLUSIONS: Pain catastrophizing and arthritis self-efficacy partially mediated the association between sleep disturbance and OA symptom severity. Behavioral interventions that address pain catastrophizing and/or self-efficacy may buffer the association between sleep disturbance and OA symptom severity.

The Intersection of Sleep Apnea and Severe Mental Illness in Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have a high prevalence of risk factors for sleep apnea, but these risk factors often go unrecognized, partly due to the overlap among sleep apnea, somatic conditions, and symptoms (e.g., obesity, daytime sleepiness), leading to potential under-recognition of sleep apnea in a high-risk population. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to compare sleep apnea prevalence and clinical features among Veterans with and without SMI. METHOD: Data for the current analyses were drawn from an administrative dataset of 33,818 United States Military Veterans with a primary care visit in calendar year 2007. The medical record data included demographic characteristics, and medical, psychiatric, and sleep diagnoses. RESULTS: Veterans with SMI had a significantly higher prevalence of sleep apnea than those without SMI. Younger Veterans with SMI had a higher prevalence of sleep apnea relative to older Veterans with SMI and Veterans with SMI and sleep apnea had a greater number of medical comorbidities than Veterans with SMI and no sleep apnea. CONCLUSION: In a large sample of Veterans, those with SMI were at greater risk of having comorbid sleep apnea. Furthermore, Veterans with comorbid SMI and sleep apnea were at greater risk for increased rates of comorbid medical disorders. Sleep apnea appears to be a key risk factor for increased morbidity in Veterans with an SMI diagnosis, highlighting the importance of treating sleep apnea in a challenging patient population.

A systematic review of the amount and timing of light in association with objective and subjective sleep outcomes in community-dwelling adults.

Light is considered the dominant environmental cue, or zeitgeber, influencing the sleep-wake cycle. Despite recognizing the importance of light for our well-being, less is known about the specific conditions under which light is optimally associated with better sleep. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to examine the association between the amount and timing of light exposure in relation to sleep outcomes in healthy, community-dwelling adults. A systematic search was conducted of four databases from database inception to June 2016. In total, 45 studies met the review eligibility criteria with generally high study quality excepting for the specification of eligibility criteria and the justification of sample size. The majority of studies involved experimental manipulation of light (n = 32) vs observational designs (n = 13). Broad trends emerged suggesting that (1) bright light (>1000 lux) has positive implications for objectively assessed sleep outcomes compared to dim (<100 lux) and moderate light (100-1000 lux) and (2) bright light (>1000 lux) has positive implications for subjectively assessed sleep outcomes compared to moderate light (100-1000 lux). Effects due to the amount of light are moderated by the timing of light exposure such that, for objectively assessed sleep outcomes, brighter morning and evening light exposure are consistent with a shift in the timing of the sleep period to earlier and later in the day, respectively. For subjectively assessed sleep outcomes, brighter light delivered in the morning was associated with self-reported sleep improvements and brighter evening light exposure was associated with worse self-reported sleep.

Recent Developments in the Management of Insomnia in Later Life.

Purpose of review: Insomnia impacts a significant proportion of older adults yet is not an inevitable consequence of aging and is amenable to intervention. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of recent recommendations and empirical findings regarding the management of insomnia in older adults. Recent findings: The treatment of insomnia with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) continues to be empirically supported and the recommended first-line intervention for adults. Accumulating evidence indicates that other non-pharmacological therapies for insomnia, such as mindfulness-based therapies, light therapy, and physical activity interventions, as well as treatment delivered by non-clinician "sleep coaches" also positively impact insomnia symptoms. Finally, recent systematic reviews offer guidelines and recommendations for pharmacological management of insomnia. Summary: CBT-I remains the recommended first-line treatment for insomnia across adult ages. There is a continued need to increase the availability and optimize the delivery of CBT-I and other therapies for older adults with insomnia to maximize treatment benefits. There is also evidence for some benefit of pharmacological agents to treat insomnia; however, these are not without risks, particularly in the geriatric population.

Daily Social Contact in Relation to Sleep: The Role of Age.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how social contact during daily activities differs by age and relates to sleep outcomes. METHODS: Fifty younger (M = 19.9 years, SD = 2.76) and 48 older (M = 67.6 years, SD = 6.63), community-dwelling adults completed the Social Rhythm Metric-17 and daily sleep diary online for 14 days. RESULTS: Younger adults completed a greater proportion of activities with active others than older adults. Age significantly interacted with the proportion of activities completed alone, ß = -.77, p = .04. Alone activities negatively predicted total sleep time in older, not younger adults. DISCUSSION: Social contact, or lack thereof, is important for sleep, particularly for older adults who may be more prone to aloneness due to life course events.

Affective mediators of the association between pleasant events and global sleep quality in community-dwelling adults.

This study explored the association of engagement in pleasant events and global sleep quality, as well as examined the intermediary roles of positive affect and depressive symptoms in this association. Data were derived from the Midlife in the United States-II study. The sample consisted of 1054 community-dwelling adults. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and indicated the frequency and enjoyableness of experiences on a positive events scale. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Positive affect was measured using the Mood and Symptoms Questionnaire. Regression analyses indicated more frequent engagement in pleasant events was associated with better global sleep quality. Depressive symptoms, but not positive affect, partially mediated the association between pleasant events and global sleep quality. The findings suggest that behavioral engagement in pleasant events may be related to global sleep quality via depressive symptoms, but not positive affect. These findings highlight the potential for engagement in pleasant activities to influence both mood and sleep.

Beyond mean values: Quantifying intraindividual variability in pre-sleep arousal and sleep in younger and older community-dwelling adults.

Intraindividual variability is an often understudied aspect of health outcomes research that may provide additional, complementary information to average values. The current paper aims to further our understanding of intraindividual variability in health research by presenting the results of a daily diary study of sleep and pre-sleep arousal. Pre-sleep arousal is often implicated in poor sleep outcomes, although the arousal-sleep association is not uniform across age groups. The examination of intraindividual variability in different age groups may provide a more complete understanding of these constructs, which, in turn, can inform future research. The overall objectives of the current study are to quantify the amount of intraindividual variability in pre-sleep arousal and sleep and to examine age differences in this variability. A sample of older (n=50) and younger (n=50) adults recruited from North Central Florida and online completed 14-consecutive-day diaries assessing pre-sleep arousal and sleep outcomes. Significant age differences were found for sleep and pre-sleep arousal; older adults displayed poorer, more variable sleep for the majority of sleep outcomes, and higher levels of pre-sleep arousal than younger adults. The high amount of intraindividual variability has implications for the assessment of pre-sleep arousal and sleep across age groups.

Sleep disturbance in osteoarthritis: linkages with pain, disability, and depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: It is known that osteoarthritis (OA) increases the risk of sleep disturbance, and that both pain and sleep problems may trigger functional disability and depression. However, studies examining all 4 variables simultaneously are rare. The aim of this study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of self-reported sleep disturbance with OA-related pain and disability and depressive symptoms. METHODS: At baseline, 367 persons with physician-diagnosed knee OA reported sleep disturbances, pain, functional limitations, and depressive symptoms. At 1-year followup, all measures were repeated in 288 of the subjects. Baseline analyses examined the independent and interactive associations of sleep disturbance with pain, disability, and depression, net of demographics and general health. Longitudinal analyses used baseline sleep disturbance to predict the 1-year change in pain, disability, and depression. RESULTS: At baseline, sleep was independently associated with pain and depression but not disability. The sleep-pain relationship was mediated by depressive symptoms; sleep interacted with pain to exacerbate depression among persons with high levels of pain. Baseline sleep disturbance predicted increased depression and disability, but not pain, at followup. CONCLUSION: These data confirm known cross-sectional relationships between sleep disturbance and pain and depression and provide new insights regarding longitudinal associations among those variables. Depression appears to play a strong role in the sleep-pain linkage, particularly when pain is severe. The unique predictive role of sleep in the progression of disability requires further study but may be an important point of intervention to prevent OA-related functional decline among persons whose sleep is disrupted by OA-related pain.