title: Objective and subjective measurement of sleep disturbance in female trauma survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: Sleep disturbance may be the most often endorsed symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Much of this research is based on subjective reports from trauma survivors; however, objective measures of sleep-related impairment have yielded findings inconsistent with self-report data. More studies investigating subjective and objective assessments concordantly are needed to understand sleep impairment in PTSD. The current study examined PTSD-related sleep disturbance in a female interpersonal violence cohort with full PTSD diagnoses (N=51) assessing subjective (global and daily diary measures) and objective (actigraphy) sleep measures concurrently. PTSD severity was positively associated with global, subjective reports of sleep impairment and insomnia. Subjective measures of sleep (including global sleep impairment, insomnia, and daily sleep diary reports of total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and sleep onset latency) were moderately to strongly correlated. However, no significant correlations between subjective and objective reports of sleep impairment were found in this cohort. Analyses demonstrated an overall elevation in subjectively reported sleep impairment when compared to objective measurement assessed concurrently. Findings demonstrate a lack of agreement between subjective and objective measurements of sleep in a PTSD-positive female cohort, suggesting objective and subjective sleep impairments are distinct sleep parameters that do not necessarily directly co-vary.
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: KBWerner@wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Kimberly B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Center for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri - Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: Women's Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Tara E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Galovski
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Actigraphy; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Sleep; Women