0645 Prevalence of sleep disorders and their association with posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms among college students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Incidence of diagnosed psychiatric disorders tend to peak during early adulthood. Furthermore, sleep complaints are highly prevalent among college students, and often exacerbate psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of sleep disorders, and their association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms among college students. Methods College students completed self-report measures as part of a larger study (n=56; mean age 20.23 (SD=1.5); 83.9% females). The SLEEP-50 questionnaire estimated the prevalence of sleep disorders. Each sleep disorder required a cutoff score and at least one sleep complaint, with a minimum score of three or four used to classify a sleep complaint. The GAD-7 scale assessed for generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, and the PCL-5 determined PTSD symptomatology. Linear regression models identified the association between each sleep disorder on posttraumatic stress and generalized anxiety symptoms. Results Approximately 19.6% of students were at risk for at least one sleep disorder. The most frequent sleep disorder was hypersomnia (69.5%), followed by narcolepsy (53.6%), insomnia (48.2%), affective disorder (28.6%), and restless leg syndrome (21.4%). In contrast, circadian rhythm disorder (16.1%) and sleep apnea (7.1%) were infrequently reported. Linear regression models indicated that affective disorder (t=2.83, p<.007; t=3.13, p<.003) and hypersomnia disorder (t=2.31, p=.025; t=2.39, p=.020) significantly predicted PTSD and GAD symptoms respectively. Additionally, insomnia (t=3.97, p<.001) and restless leg syndrome (t=2.34, p=.023) were significant predictors for GAD only, and circadian rhythm disorder (t=2.760, p=.008) was a significant predictor for PTSD only. Conclusion Results suggest that risk of sleep disorders was significantly associated with PTSD and GAD symptoms in college students. Given these findings, health promotion programs are needed to promote good sleep hygiene and early interventions for mental health during college years. Support (if any) This study was funded by a Center Grant from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (Grant # P20GM103653).