Prospective associations between insomnia symptoms and alcohol use problems among former and current military service personnel

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence Vol. 199; pp. 35 - 41
• Main Authors: Short, Nicole A., Allan, Nicholas P., Oglesby, Mary E., Moradi, Shahrzad, Schmidt, Norman B., Stecker, Tracy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.06.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol; Alcohol related disorders; Alcohol use; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - diagnosis; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Alcoholism - psychology; Alcohols; Bidirectionality; Drinking; Drinking behavior; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Insomnia; Male; Military; Military personnel; Military Personnel - psychology; Military service; Prospective Studies; Self report; Servicemen; Signs and symptoms; Sleep; Sleep disorders; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - diagnosis; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - psychology; Veterans; Veterans - psychology; Young Adult; Alcohol; Drinking; Sleep; Insomnia; Veterans; Military
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.018

•Insomnia and alcohol problems were measured over 6 months among military personnel.•Insomnia predicted increased heavy drinking and alcohol problems.•Alcohol variables did not predicted increased insomnia. Despite evidence that insomnia symptoms exacerbate alcohol use disorder symptoms, there is a dearth of prospective research testing bidirectional associations between these variables. Furthermore, no studies have prospectively examined these associations among military personnel, a vulnerable population for sleep- and alcohol-related problems. Thus, the current study examined whether insomnia symptoms prospectively predicted increased alcohol use disorder symptoms among a sample of military service members and veterans over a 6-month follow-up period, as well as whether alcohol use disorder symptoms led to increases in insomnia. Hypotheses were tested among a sample of 274 current and past military service members who participated in a baseline and 6-month assessment using self-report measures. Path analyses revealed that insomnia symptoms significantly prospectively predicted increased month-6 heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems, but not days drinking or being bothered by drinking. None of the alcohol variables significantly predicted insomnia. Results support a model in which insomnia symptoms exacerbate alcohol use disorder symptoms, specifically heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. Future research should seek to examine these findings in diverse populations and test potential mechanisms and clinical implications of these results.