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. 2012 Jun;20(6):477-84.
doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e31824877c1.

A longitudinal study of poor sleep after inpatient post-acute rehabilitation: the role of depression and pre-illness sleep quality

Jennifer L Martin  1 , Stella Jouldjian, Michael N Mitchell, Karen R Josephson, Cathy A Alessi
Affiliations

A longitudinal study of poor sleep after inpatient post-acute rehabilitation: the role of depression and pre-illness sleep quality

Jennifer L Martin et al. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2012 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the unique impact of poor sleep and symptoms of depression on sleep quality for up to 1 year after inpatient post-acute rehabilitation among older adults.

Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: Two inpatient post-acute rehabilitation facilities.

Participants: A total of 245 individuals older than 65 years (mean age = 80 years, 38% women).

Interventions: None.

Measurements: Sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) during the post-acute care stay twice to evaluate pre-illness sleep quality and sleep quality during the post-acute care stay, and again at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up. Demographics, symptoms of depression, cognitive functioning, and comorbidities were also assessed.

Results: Across time points, sleep was significantly disturbed for many individuals. Nested regression models predicting PSQI total score at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months showed that variables entered in Block 1 (age, gender, cognitive functioning, and comorbidities) were significant predictors of poor sleep at 6-month follow-up but not at 3-, 9-, or 12-month follow-up. Depression (Block 2) and pre-illness PSQI total score (Block 3) were significant predictors of PSQI total score at all follow-up time points. PSQI total score during post-acute care (Block 4) explained a significant proportion of variance only at the 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions: This study confirms that chronic poor sleep is common among older adults during post-acute rehabilitation and resolution of sleep disturbance after acute health events may be a lengthy process. Our findings expand understanding of the role of depressive symptoms and preexisting sleep complaints in predicting poor sleep over time among these vulnerable older adults.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of participants with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total scores above the clinical cutoff of 5 at each study time point.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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