1076 Self-referential Language In Trauma Narratives Predicts Shorter Sleep Duration In Women With Ptsd

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The use of self-referential language, defined as first-person singular pronouns (e.g. I, me, my), in trauma narratives has been found to predict post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity. Additionally, taking a self-immersed perspective correlates with higher blood pressure reactivity than a self-distanced perspective. Given this relationship between self-immersed perspectives and physiological processes, we investigated the relationship between self-referential language and sleep in people with PTSD, as dysfunctional sleep is a major treatment target in this disorder. Methods Seventy-five participants (49 females; Mage=31.8, SDage=8.8) meeting DSM-5 criteria for PTSD were administered the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Sleep duration was assessed with the PSQI. Participants provided typed descriptions of their traumatic event, which were then analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count 2015 software to count instances of first-person singular pronouns (“I” words). Linear regression, with PCL-5 scores and “I” words entered stepwise, was used to predict scores on the PSQI sleep duration subscale. Use of “I” words between the sexes was also compared. Results For females but not males, PTSD severity significantly predicted sleep duration (R2=.207, p=.001). Additionally, the number of “I” words in the trauma narratives predicted an additional 8% of the variance in sleep duration for females (R2 change=.083, β=.288, p=.029) but not males. Females used significantly more self-referential language in their narratives (M=11.84, SD=8.42) compared to males (M=5.25, SD=6.10, p=.001). Conclusion After controlling for PTSD severity, self-referential language in trauma narratives significantly predicted shorter sleep duration in females. While speculative, this finding suggests that treatment approaches for PTSD may benefit from a focus on targeting self-referential processes to improve sleep and PTSD in females but not males. As dysfunctional sleep is a hallmark of PTSD, further investigation into this relationship may illuminate a new treatment avenue for this disorder. Support W81XWH-14-1-0570