Childhood bullying and domestic violence experiences associated with workers' insomnia

Insomnia is a prevalent issue that increases the risk of various health complications and affects approximately 10% of Japanese adults. While socioeconomic factors, lifestyle factors, and work stress all contribute to insomnia, childhood experiences have received considerable attention in recent years.

Exposure to physical, psychological, and sexual abuse as well as bullying and family dysfunction, collectively termed "adversarial childhood experiences" (ACEs), are known to have detrimental health consequences. However, there is a paucity of research on the effects of ACEs on insomnia among workers.

The research team from the University of Tsukuba examined whether childhood bullying and domestic violence (DV) were associated with insomnia among workers in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The results indicated that 2,997 (41.8%) participants were diagnosed with insomnia using the Athens insomnia scale.

Researchers found that experiences of bullying and domestic violence victimization were associated with insomnia, particularly among victims of DV, and the likelihood of insomnia increased with the frequency of victimization. This trend persisted even after adjusting for the effects of demographic characteristics, occupational factors, and lifestyle.

This study, published in F1000Research, suggests that childhood experiences of bullying and DV are linked to insomnia among workers. This implies that it is essential for occupational health professionals, such as occupational physicians and public health nurses, to pay attention to insomnia when identifying workers with ACEs as a part of their occupational health activities.