0671 Nightmare type and its association with suicide attempts among veterans

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Research has begun to distinguish between idiopathic (no known origin), trauma-related (recurring after a trauma), and complex nightmares (trauma-related nightmares that recur comorbidly with sleep disordered breathing). Nightmare type may impact symptom severity as well as treatment outcomes among various patient groups. Thus, we sought to examine the individual effects of nightmare type on suicide re-attempts and, secondarily, on treatment utilization. Methods This is a secondary analysis of electronic medical record data. Data were extracted for all Veterans with a documented suicide attempt (using ICD-10 codes) during FY13-14. A 1:1 case control was then created using age, sex, and prior year behavioral health treatment utilization. The present sample is comprised of all Veterans from that parent dataset who carry an ICD-10 diagnosis of nightmare disorder (n = 3207). Groups were defined as follows: 1) Idiopathic (n = 589; nightmare disorder only); 2) Trauma (n = 3207; nightmare disorder plus ICD-10 diagnosis of PTSD); 3) Complex (n = 576; nightmare disorder + PTSD + ICD-10 diagnosis of a sleep-related breathing disorder). Results Multiple logistic regression revealed that only trauma-related nightmares were positively associated with suicide re-attempts (B = 0.16, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01), with an estimated odds ratio of 1.27 (95% CI of 1.02-1.57). Regarding treatment utilization, regression analyses revealed that both complex nightmares (B = 0.36, p < 0.05) and trauma-related nightmares (B = 0.31, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with mental healthcare utilization (total days). Conclusion Our results revealed that both complex and trauma-related nightmares are associated with mental health treatment utilization. Only trauma-related nightmares were significantly associated with suicide re-attempts. Trauma-related nightmares may be distressing because of their trauma-related content, therefore making them more likely to predict reattempts. Overall, results suggest that nightmares are positively associated with suicide re-attempts and increased treatment utilization. Support (If Any) This work was supported by the VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in teh Finger Lakes Healthcare System.