Study shows strong prevalence of insomnia symptoms among female veterans

A new study sheds light on the prevalence of insomnia symptoms among female veterans.

Results demonstrate that more than 47 percent of female veterans reported symptoms of insomnia that resulted in functional impairment. Of this sample group, less than one percent had a diagnosis of a sleep disorder based on medical records.

"Results from the analysis provide a clinical decision tree identifying subgroups of women with high and low risk for insomnia symptoms," said lead author Kimberly Babson, PhD, Research Health Science Specialist at the National Center for PTSD—Dissemination & Training Division, VA Palo Alto Health Care System. "These results can be used by primary care clinicians to identify women that fit within these subgroups for referral, assessment and intervention of insomnia symptoms in order to decrease risk for the psychological, physical, and psycho-social consequences associated with insomnia."

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Sunday, June 12, 2016 and Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in Denver at SLEEP 2016, the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).

Data for this study were drawn from a cross-sectional survey among a national, population-based stratified random sample of female veterans using Veterans Health Administration primary care facilities.