SLEEP IN THE WAKE OF COMPLICATED GRIEF SYMPTOMS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

Our aim was to explore the concept that the symptoms of complicated gr ief may be a form of posttraumatic distress, rather than depression, a nd thus may have different effects on sleep. Sixty-five recently berea ved elders with varying levels of symptoms of complicated grief and de pression were stratified by high versus low levels of symptoms; a two- way analysis of variance examined main effects of level of complicated grief symptoms and depressive symptoms on selected sleep measures, as well as interactions. Complicated grief symptoms were independently a ssociated with mild subjective sleep impairment but showed no main eff ects on electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep measures. In a multiple re gression analysis, complicated grief symptoms interacted with depressi ve symptoms to increase REM sleep percent. Thus, it appears that compl icated grief symptoms do not entail the changes of EEG sleep physiolog y seen in depression, with the possible exception of an interaction wi th coexisting depression to enhance REM sleep percent. (C) 1997 Societ y of Biological Psychiatry.