Rates of Sleep Disorders Based on a Structured Clinical Interview in US Active-Duty Military Personnel with Acute Suicide Risk

Objectives: Individuals who are at higher risk for suicide commonly report sleep disorder symptoms. There is a need for increased precision in understanding which sleep disorder symptoms are most reported in at-risk populations, as well as variability in sleep disorder symptoms. The current study comprehensively evaluates sleep problems in US Active-Duty Military Personnel with acute suicide risk. Methods: Active-duty treatment-seeking US Marines (N = 40) were recruited based on suicide ideation with intent/plan/suicide attempt in the past month. Marines completed a structured clinical interview for sleep disorders and self-report questionnaires. Results: Almost all (97.5%) of the participants met criteria for at least one sleep disorder, including insomnia (75.0%), nightmare disorder (50.0%), circadian rhythm sleep–wake disorders (27.5%), and possible obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (25.0%). There was not able variability in total sleep duration (5.45–7.01 hr per night) and bedtimes (19:30–1:00 workdays; 19:30–5:30 weekends), and poor average sleep efficiency (63.28% on weekdays and 69.43% on weekends). Conclusions: These results underscore our hypothesis that sleep problems are prevalent among military personnel at high risk for suicide. There is a need for a more precise assessment of sleep disorder symptoms among service members who are at high risk for suicide, as well as expanded intervention opportunities in this group.