Impaired sleep in alcohol misusers and dependent alcoholics and the impactupon outcome

Citation
Jh. Foster et Tj. Peters, Impaired sleep in alcohol misusers and dependent alcoholics and the impactupon outcome, ALC CLIN EX, 23(6), 1999, pp. 1044-1051
Citations number
39
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Psycology & Psychiatry","Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
ALCOHOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
ISSN journal
01456008 → ACNP
Volume
23
Issue
6
Year of publication
1999
Pages
1044 - 1051
Database
ISI
SICI code
0145-6008(199906)23:6<1044:ISIAMA>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
Background: There is very little work that has investigated the self-report ed sleep status of alcohol misusers. This study addressed that imbalance. Methods: The study consisted of two parts: 1) the outpatient study, a sampl e of DSM-IV alcohol-dependent subjects who were referred to an outpatient c linic and were given a series of questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh S leep Quality Index (PSQI); and 2) the inpatient study, a group of DSM-IV al cohol-dependent subjects whose sleep was assessed by the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) sleep subscore at the start of the study and again at the 12- week follow-up. Both the PSQI and NHP are self-report indices whereby highe r scores indicate a poor sleep quality. Results: In the outpatient study, the PSQI scores were significantly higher in the alcoholics (n = 31) compared with the controls (n = 49). There were no differences in the PSQI scores among mildly (n = 11), moderately (n = 1 0), and severely (n = 11) dependent drinkers. The PSQI total scores correla ted with the Beck Depression Index but not with severity of dependence or a lcohol problem scores. Sleep latency emerged as the most significant predic tor of relapse, and sleeping badly was associated with poor outcome at the 12-week follow-up in the inpatient study. Conclusion: Self-reported sleep disturbance can provide clinicians with inf ormation to plan better treatment for alcohol misusers.