TY - JOUR PY - 2019// TI - Prospective associations between insomnia symptoms and alcohol use problems among former and current military service personnel JO - Drug and alcohol dependence A1 - Short, Nicole A. A1 - Allan, Nicholas P. A1 - Oglesby, Mary E. A1 - Moradi, Shahrzad A1 - Schmidt, Norman B. A1 - Stecker, Tracy SP - 35 EP - 41 VL - 199 IS - N2 - BACKGROUND: 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.

METHOD: 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.

RESULTS: 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.

CONCLUSION: 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.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0376-8716 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.018 ID - ref1 ER -