Sex differences in US military personnel with insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate sex-related differences in symptoms of sleep disorders, sleep-related impairment, psychiatric symptoms, traumatic brain injury, and polysomnographic variables in treatment-seeking military personnel diagnosed with insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or comorbid insomnia and OSA (COMISA). METHODS: Participants were 372 military personnel (46.2% women, 53.8% men) with an average age of 37.7 (standard deviation = 7.46) years and median body mass index of 28.4 (5.50) kg/m2. Based on clinical evaluation and video-polysomnography, participants were diagnosed with insomnia (n = 118), OSA (n = 118), or COMISA (n = 136). Insomnia severity, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, nightmare disorder, sleep impairment, fatigue, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression symptoms, and traumatic brain injury were evaluated with validated self-report questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, parametric and nonparametric t-tests, and effect sizes were used to assess sex differences between men and women. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between women and men with insomnia or OSA in sleep-related symptoms, impairment, or polysomnography-based apnea-hypopnea index. Military men with COMISA had a significantly greater apnea-hypopnea index as compared to military women with COMISA, but women had greater symptoms of nightmare disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to civilian studies, minimal differences were observed in self-reported sleep symptoms, impairment, and polysomnography metrics between men and women diagnosed with the most frequent sleep disorders in military personnel (ie, insomnia, OSA, or COMISA) except in those with COMISA. Military service may result in distinct sleep disorder phenotypes that differ negligibly by sex. CITATION: Mysliwiec V, Pruiksma KE, Matsangas P, et al. Sex differences in US military personnel with insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(1):17-30.

Expanding Behavioral and Occupational Health Research in Military Police.

INTRODUCTION: It is important to understand the behavioral and occupational health needs of military police personnel, a high-risk and understudied population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incidence rates of behavioral and occupational conditions were examined from the years of 2005 to 2021 from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database. Single-sample chi-square analyses were performed to analyze the differences in the incidence rates across demographic groups relative to population density. RESULTS: There were moderate-to-large increases in sleep-related disorders and mood or stress-related disorders. There were also patterns of overrepresentation or underrepresentation in diagnoses of various conditions by sex, age group, marital status, race, service branch, and pay grade. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to provide tailored resources and programming to employees in high-stress settings to help prevent or manage behavioral and occupational health conditions and reduce the stigma surrounding the utilization of such resources and programs.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Suicidal ideation, and Stress: The Moderating Role of Dysfunctional and Recovery Cognitions.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma and stressor-related behavioral health conditions are prevalent in military populations and have become a major public health concern in recent years. Individuals who commonly report suicidal ideation often have comorbid mental health diagnoses (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder; PTSD). However, the mechanisms associated with stress, suicidal ideation, and PTSD are unclear. METHOD: The present study examined the moderating role of dysfunctional and recovery cognitions between (i) PTSD and suicidal ideation, and (ii) stress and suicidal ideation in two distinct samples. Sample 1 was composed of civilians and military personnel (N = 322). Sample 2 was composed of (N = 377) student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs). RESULTS: In Study 1, we found that low recovery cognitions at higher and moderate levels of PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with increased suicidal ideation. High dysfunctional cognitions were significantly associated with suicidal ideation at higher levels of PTSD symptoms. In Study 2, we found no differences in any level of recovery cognitions at low and moderate stress levels with suicidal ideation. Higher levels of stress were associated with high dysfunctional cognitions and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Promoting higher levels of recovery cognitions and reducing dysfunctional cognitions are important in addressing stress, suicidal ideation, and comorbid conditions such as PTSD. Future research should focus on examining the clinical utility of the Dispositional Recovery and Dysfunction Inventory (DRDI) in other populations (i.e., firefighters and paramedics). This could contribute to efforts of suicide prevention and the promotion of the well-being of individuals experiencing suicidal ideation.HIGHLIGHTSPromoting recovery cognitions may serve as a protective factor against stress.Dysfunctional cognitions contribute to worsening behavioral health conditions.Suicide prevention efforts should target dysfunctional and recovery cognitions.

Opioid use disorder in the active service: Implications for intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Military service members experience occupational-specific injuries that may result in chronic pain and comorbid behavioral health concerns. METHODS: Data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database was used to examine opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses between 2016 and 2021. Statistical analysis calculated incidence rates and diagnostic variability by demographic density. RESULTS: The average incidence rate of OUD was 6.1 (per 10,000) and declined by 34% between 2016 and 2021. Diagnoses were most frequently made in service members classified as male, married, white, aged 30-39, junior enlisted, and serving in the Army. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the incidence rates of OUD among active duty personnel.

Nightmare disorder in active-duty US military personnel.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Military personnel experience high rates of traumatic experiences. Despite this, few studies have examined the presence of nightmare disorder in military personnel. The primary aim of this study was to examine diagnoses of nightmare disorder across the 4 largest branches of the active-duty US military. DESIGN & PARTICIPANTS: Data and service branch densities used to derive the expected rates of diagnoses of nightmare disorder were drawn from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database. The branches examined included all active-duty services members in the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, who served between 2016 and 2021. Single-sample chi-square goodness of fit tests were conducted to examine within-variable differences for military relevant variables. RESULTS: Between 2016 and 2019, the incidence rates of nightmare disorder (per 10,000 service members) in the US Department of Defense ranged from 11.3 in 2016 to a low of 6.9 in 2018. Service members who were classified as non-white, female, over the age of 35, married, in the Army, and/or a noncommissioned officer, were diagnosed at greater rates relative to their representation in the military population (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Our findings of higher than expected rates of nightmare disorder in older, senior service members as well as those in the Army align with the known precipitant of nightmares, and trauma. However, the reason for the finding that female and Black service members have higher than expected rates is not readily apparent.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols for Head and Neck Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to optimize the pre-, intra-, and postoperative care of patients to improve surgery outcomes, reduce complications, decrease length of stay, and more. We aim to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of ERAS protocols for head and neck cancer surgery with or without microvascular reconstruction. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were queried, and abstracts were screened independently by 2 investigators. REVIEW METHODS: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. We included comparative observational studies but excluded animal studies, case reports, and case series. RESULTS: Of 557 articles initially reviewed by title and/or abstract, we identified 30 for full-text screening, and 9 met the criteria for qualitative synthesis. Meta-analysis of length of stay revealed a mean decrease of 1.37 days (95% CI, 0.77-1.96; I2 = 0%; P < .00001) with the ERAS group as compared with non-ERAS controls. The standardized mean difference of the morphine milligram equivalent was 0.72 lower (95% CI, 0.26-1.18; I2 = 82%; P = .002) in the ERAS group vs controls. The quality of studies was moderate with a median MINORS score of 18.5 (range, 13.5-21.5). CONCLUSION: Implementation of ERAS protocols can lead to decreases in length of stay and opioid drug utilization. However, further high-quality prospective studies of ERAS protocols are needed, especially with stratified analysis of outcomes based on the type of head and neck cancer surgery.

Patterns of acute stress disorder in a sample of blast-injured military service members: A latent profile analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aims of this study were to identify latent profiles of acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms and to evaluate postconcussive symptom differences across the identified profiles as measured by the Acute Stress Disorder Scale and the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation, respectively. METHOD: Participants (N = 315) in the current study were predominantly active-duty (75.0%), enlisted (97.8%) males (97.4%) serving in the U.S. Army (87.8%). Approximately, half of the sample reported being married or engaged (51.1%) and was on average 25.94 (SD = 6.31) years old. Participants were referred to the Air Force Theater Hospital, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, to be evaluated as part of routine clinical assessment for neurocognitive and psychological symptoms following exposure to a blast. RESULTS: A 3-profile solution was identified as the most parsimonious and best-fitting model based on statistical model fit indices. Blast injured service members in Profile 3 had greater ASD total and subscale severity compared to the other 2 subgroups, with effect size estimates largely differing by hyperarousal and reexperiencing symptoms. Furthermore, Profiles 2 and 3 were more likely to demonstrate postconcussive symptoms compared to Profile 1. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide novel information on heterogenous ASD symptom profiles during the acute phase following a blast injury and highlight the relationship between psychological and physical symptoms. Classification of blast-injured service members may help identify at-risk individuals who would benefit from further clinical care and mitigate long-term psychological and neurocognitive issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining student well-being: Development and initial validation of the perceived vulnerability and hardiness scale.

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim was to assess the factor structure and establish measurement invariance across sex for the Perceived Vulnerability and Hardiness Scale. PARTICIPANTS: Sample 1 (N = 377) and Sample 2 (N = 401) were volunteers from six large southern universities. METHODS: Iterative and collaborative survey-based focus groups were used to create the final version of the PVHS. RESULTS: A two-factor model was identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The psychological hardiness subscale was found to positively correlate with hardiness and resilience, and negatively correlate with psychosocial functioning, depression, and anxiety. The vulnerability subscale was found to positively, strongly correlate with the anxiety, psychological vulnerability, and psychosocial functioning, and negatively correlate with the hardiness and resilience. Men and women interpreted the PVHS in an equivalent manner. CONCLUSIONS: This brief measure provides researchers, counselors, and administrations a method for general assessment, intervention effectiveness, and evaluation of campus climates.

Enhancing resiliency and optimizing readiness in military personnel through psychological flexibility training: design and methodology of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Enhancing resiliency and optimizing readiness in military personnel is a high priority for the U.S. Department of Defense. Most military resiliency-enhancement programs are evidence-informed interventions. However, few randomized studies have demonstrated efficacy of any intervention or training program to enhance resiliency and prevent the development of psychological health symptoms in military personnel when exposed to operational stressors. This manuscript provides an overview of the theoretical foundation, research design, and research methods of a preventive intervention trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a training program to enhance resiliency and prevent psychological health symptoms in military personnel. The resiliency training intervention is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based intervention with broad empirical support for improving functioning in those living with psychological and medical conditions. Method/design: This study will evaluate the efficacy of a two-day training program based on ACT for fostering psychological flexibility, the central target in ACT, for enhancing resiliency, and for preventing the development of psychological health symptoms. The research participants will be a non-clinical population of active duty military personnel (N = 600). The ACT-based training program (n = 300) will be compared to a military resiliency training as usual, known as Master Resilience Training (n = 300). Assessment measures will be administered at the baseline assessment, after training, prior to a military deployment, and after returning from a deployment. Qualitative interviews will be conducted to provide feedback on the training program.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05094115.

Occupational Stress and Burnout in the Fire Service: Examining the Complex Role and Impact of Sleep Health.

The occupational stress inherent in firefighting poses both physiological and psychological risks to firefighters that have been found to possess a reciprocal nature. That is, the nature of these relationships in terms of indicator and impact are elusive, especially as it relates to sleep health (e.g., quality, quantity, hygiene, etc.) as a specific physiological risk and burnout as a specific psychological risk. A series of mediation models were assessed to examine the reciprocal relationships between occupational stress, burnout, and sleep health in a sample of 161 career firefighters. The mediation models confirmed reciprocity among the variables in so much that relationships were best described by the underlying mechanism at work. Comprehensive assessments of both subjective and objective markers of sleep health should be incorporated into firefighter research to supplement behavioral health assessments and interventions, especially related to burnout and occupational stress.

Behavioral and Occupational Health in Military Firefighters: An Understudied Population.

To our knowledge, no studies on health conditions in U.S. military firefighters exist. Data and demographics from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database were analyzed on several shared medical issues among military personnel and civilian firefighters. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square goodness of fit tests were conducted to support study aims. Between 2001 and 2015, substantial incidence rate increases (per 10,000) of tinnitus, PTSD, insomnia, and OSA (2005-2015) were observed. Modest to large increases in depressive disorders, adjustment reaction, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder were observed. Decreasing rates were observed for alcohol dependence, hypertension, and tobacco use disorder. While efforts have examined the impact of sustained operations on military members, first responder military subgroups like firefighters are deficient. Cognitive Behavior Therapy interventions are efficacious for preventing and reducing behavioral health problems; therefore, tailoring them specifically for U.S. military firefighters could significantly improve quality of life and long-term health.

Development and psychometric validation of the Dispositional Recovery and Dysfunction Inventory: a tool to assess for positive and negative cognitions following trauma exposure.

BACKGROUND: Recovery from trauma can be naturally occurring or facilitated through psychotherapy. Few brief measures exist to provide clinicians with dispositional, empirical assessments of patient's sentiments during psychotherapy. AIMS: This manuscript presents the Dispositional Recovery and Dysfunction Inventory (DRDI), a measure created to assist clinicians in evaluating patient's treatment progress during psychotherapy, as well as evaluate its factor structure, reliability estimates, measurement invariance, and correlates. METHOD: The DRDI was created based on feedback from experts with experience treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was structurally validated in two distinct populations. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted in sample 1 consisting of (n=401) university students. Confirmatory factor analysis, measure validity and structure validation were then conducted in sample 2 (n=249) composed of 49% individuals with clinically significant PTSD symptoms. RESULTS: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the DRDI was best represented by a two-factor correlated traits model representing sentiments related to dispositional recovery and dysfunctional cognitions. The recovery subscale exhibited relationships with convergent measures including authenticity and psychological hardiness (r values of .30 to .60). The dysfunctional beliefs subscale exhibited relationships with convergent measures: PTSD, depression, suicidality and stress (r values of .55 to 80). Measurement invariance across gender and PTSD status was observed. CONCLUSION: Initial findings indicate that the DRDI has the potential to be a useful tool to assess individuals' beliefs about their propensity to recover from and thrive through adversity.

A Retrospective, Epidemiological Review of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Military Population.

OBJECTIVE: Examine incidence rates of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in a military population over a tenyear period and whether demographic characteristics differ within the same population. METHODS: Diagnostic data and demographic variables from 23,821 active duty service members between 2006 and 2015 were analyzed from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database. RESULTS: The incidence rates of new onset cases ranged from .22 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 to a high of 1.46 (per 1,000 service members) in 2006 for T2DM without complications and .00 (per 1,000 service members) in 2007 to a high of .29 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 for T2DM with complications. The one-sample chi-square test showed the observed, and expected frequencies differed significantly for all demographic variables tested. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a significant increase in the diagnosis of T2DM with complications in 2015, the overall downtrend is similar to that of the general US population. Older age and higher rank were more likely to be associated with the diagnosis of T2DM with and without complications, again suggestive of similar trends with the general US population. Continued efforts towards early diagnosis and treatment of these service members are needed to address this problem regarding military readiness.

Decreased Complications After Total Laryngectomy Using a Clinical Care Pathway.

Background: Complications following total laryngectomy can lead to increased hospital length of stay (LOS) and increased health care costs. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of a clinical care pathway for improving outcomes for patients following total laryngectomy. Methods: This quality improvement study included all adult patients undergoing total laryngectomy-either primary or salvage-at a tertiary referral center between January 2013 and December 2018. The primary outcome was hospital LOS measured in postoperative days. The total and specific postoperative complication frequencies were evaluated, as well as 30-day readmission rates and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS. Results: Sixty-three patients were included in the study: 29 (46.0%) patients before the pathway implementation and 34 (54.0%) patients after pathway implementation. Demographic characteristics between the groups were similar. The prepathway cohort had a higher rate of total complications compared to the postpathway group (relative risk=0.5; 95% CI 0.3-1.0), although the differences in individual complications were similar. The median LOS of 10 days was the same for the 2 cohorts. The median ICU LOS was 1 day greater in the postpathway cohort, but no difference was seen in rates of ICU readmission in the 2 groups. The 30-day readmission rate also was not significant between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Implementation of a postoperative order set pathway for patients undergoing laryngectomy is associated with decreased overall complication rates. Use of a clinical care pathway may improve outcomes in patients undergoing total laryngectomy.

The Military Service Sleep Assessment: an instrument to assess factors precipitating sleep disturbances in U.S. military personnel.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Military personnel frequently experience sleep difficulties, but little is known regarding which military or life events most impact their sleep. The Military Service Sleep Assessment (MSSA) was developed to assess the impact of initial military training, first duty assignment, permanent change of station, deployments, redeployments, and stressful life events on sleep. This study presents an initial psychometric evaluation of the MSSA and descriptive data in a cohort of service members. METHODS: The MSSA was administered to 194 service members in a military sleep disorders clinic as part of a larger study. RESULTS: Average sleep quality on the MSSA was 2.14 (on a Likert scale, with 1 indicating low and 5 indicating high sleep quality), and 72.7% (n = 140) of participants rated their sleep quality as low to low average. The events most reported to negatively impact sleep were stressful life events (41.8%), followed by deployments (40.6%). Military leadership position (24.7%) and birth/adoption of a child (9.7%) were the most frequently reported stressful life events to negatively impact sleep. There were no significant differences in current sleep quality among service members with a history of deployment compared with service members who had not deployed. CONCLUSIONS: The MSSA is the first military-specific sleep questionnaire. This instrument provides insights into the events during a service member's career, beyond deployments, which precipitate and perpetuate sleep disturbances and likely chronic sleep disorders. Further evaluation of the MSSA in nontreatment-seeking military populations and veterans is required.

Incidence of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea in active duty United States military service members.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Epidemiologic studies of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia in the U.S. military are limited. The primary aim of this study was to report and compare OSA and insomnia diagnoses in active duty the United States military service members. METHOD: Data and service branch densities used to derive the expected rates of diagnoses on insomnia and OSA were drawn from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database. Single sample chi-square goodness of fit tests and independent samples t-tests were conducted to address the aims of the study. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2019, incidence rates of OSA and insomnia increased from 11 to 333 and 6 to 272 (per 10,000), respectively. Service members in the Air Force, Navy, and Marines were diagnosed with insomnia and OSA below expected rates, while those in the Army had higher than expected rates (p < .001). Female service members were underdiagnosed in both disorders (p < .001). Comparison of diagnoses following the transition from ICD 9 to 10 codes revealed significant differences in the amounts of OSA diagnoses only (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Since 2005, incidence rates of OSA and insomnia have markedly increased across all branches of the U.S. military. Despite similar requirements for overall physical and mental health and resilience, service members in the Army had higher rates of insomnia and OSA. This unexpected finding may relate to inherent differences in the branches of the military or the role of the Army in combat operations. Future studies utilizing military-specific data and directed interventions are required to reverse this negative trend.

Incidence (2008-2015) of post-traumatic headaches in United States military personnel.

Objective: To conduct a descriptive transversal study to evaluate the incidence and demographic characteristics of post-traumatic headache using data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of data from 2008 to 2015 based on the International Classification of Diseases codes for both acute and chronic post-traumatic headache.Results: A total of 17,010 new cases of post-traumatic headaches were diagnosed among active duty military personnel. Reported incidence rates of post-traumatic headaches in the military increased 29-fold over the timeframe analyzed. Males enlisted in the Army were more likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic headaches than females (O/E = 0.76), other branches, and officers.Conclusion: Findings of this study indicate that there is a significant incidence of post-traumatic headaches in the U.S. military. However, the incidence rates of post-traumatic headaches in the military are much lower than what was expected considering the number of traumatic brain injuries in the United States military reported by the Department of Defense for the same period. Additional research is needed to further evaluate these differences and the impact of PTHs on military personnel.

Examination of the Factor Structure and Correlates of the Perceived Military Healthcare Stressors Scale.

The current study evaluated the factor structure, reliability estimates, correlates, and predictive utility of the Perceived Military Healthcare Stressor Scale (PMHSS) in a sample of active duty military medical personnel (N = 1,131) deployed to Joint Base Balad in Iraq. The sample was composed of an approximately even split of male (51.2%) and female (48.8%) participants who ranged in age from 18 to 60 years. The PMHSS is a 21-item measure that was designed to assess the impact of specific medical stressors that military healthcare providers may encounter while deployed. An exploratory factor analysis of the PMHSS revealed the presence of two distinct factors: trainable and futility stressors. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a bifactor model best represented the data, with all items loading higher on the general factor relative to their specific subscale factors. Evidence of partial scalar invariance by gender was found. The PMHSS was significantly correlated with several convergent measures, including assessments of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression severity, distress due to both combat exposure and general deployment-related concerns, and positive affect, rs = .30-.59. PMHSS scores were more strongly correlated with PTSD and depression in women than in men, and they provided incremental validity in predicting convergent measures over and above other related constructs. Healthcare-specific stressors are an understudied area, and this study provides new insights into how deployment-related caregiving stress may impact deployed military medical personnel independently of the impact of combat experiences.