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Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters

Sleep quality mediates the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD symptom severity in a trauma exposed sample

(PS11-B43) Sleep Quality Mediates the Relationship Between Anxiety Sensitivity and PTSD Symptom Severity in a Trauma Exposed Sample

Saturday, November 18, 2023
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7
High anxiety sensitivity, or a fear of anxiety and anxiety-related consequences, has often been associated with greater PTSD symptom severity. However, there has been a lack of exploration of variables that mediate this relationship. Sleep disturbance is a prominent feature of PTSD symptomology and is also associated with higher anxiety sensitivity. Previous research has  proposed that anxiety sensitivity interferes with sleep due to a heightened attention towards arousal. The present study hypothesized that global sleep quality would play a mediating role in the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD symptom severity. Participants in the study included trauma-exposed undergraduate students (N=922) from a large Midwestern university. Participants were administered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and the Life Events Checklist (LEC). Results indicated that global sleep quality mediates the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD symptom severity (F(2,989)=376.56, p< .001, R2=.43). Additionally, regression analysis showed that, when controlling for anxiety sensitivity, subjective sleep quality (b=.10, p< .05), sleep disturbances (b=0.17, p< .001), use of sleep medication (b=0.08, p< 0.001), and daytime dysfunction (b=0.20, p< .001), were the strongest predictors of PTSD symptom severity (F(8, 983)=106.37, p< 0.001). These findings suggest that overall sleep quality plays an important role in the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD symptom severity. Subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction appear to be more important treatment targets than sleep duration.
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