0399 The MSSA: A Novel Instrument to Assess Sleep and Sleep Disturbances in Military Men and Women

Abstract Introduction Military personnel experience unique stressors (e.g., deployments, shift work, family separation) which can cause sleep disturbances. However, little is known regarding the general sleep quality of military personnel and how it changes throughout their service, what types of stressors precipitate sleep disturbances, and how this differs among military men and women. We present findings from a new self-report measure, the Military Service Sleep Assessment (MSSA), which was designed to assess (1) current primary problems with sleep, (2) sleep quality throughout military service (3) life events that may have impacted their sleep and (4) the specific events which most effected sleep. Methods A total of 69 military personnel (22 women and 47 men) completed the MSSA and 49 also completed a diagnostic polysomnogram (PSG). Chi-square tests were run to differences in responses between men and women. Results No significant differences were found between men and women. In general, sleep quality progressively decreased over a participant’s military career from 3 to 2 on a 5-point Likert scale (1=low, 5=high). For those with at least one deployment (n=52), 73% reported that deployment and 54% reported that a redeployment (return from deployment) negatively impacted sleep quality for 3 months. Women reported that permanent change of station (PCS) negatively impacted their sleep more frequently than men (36% vs. 28%). The reported events that most significantly impacted sleep quality were deployment, military service other than deployment and trauma. Conclusion The MSSA is a novel instrument that can be used to increase understanding of sleep disturbances in military men and women which can inform prevention and treatment strategies. This measure is being used to systematically evaluate the factors which may precipitate or perpetuate sleep disturbances in military men and women such as military service-associated factors, training, deployment history, changing stations, and exposure to trauma or other stressful life events. Support This study is supported by the Defense Health Agency, Defense Medical Research and Development Program, Clinical Research Intramural Initiative for Military Women’s Health.