Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals

Rumination and worry are forms of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) commonly associated with internalizing psychopathologies, although less is known about RNT in trauma-exposed individuals with internalizing psychopathologies. Separate lines of research show RNT also plays a role in problematic sle...

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Main Authors: Fini Chang, Erin C. Berenz, Olusola Ajilore, Scott A. Langenecker, Helen J. Burgess, K. Luan Phan, Heide Klumpp
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-01-01
Series:Brain Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/1/139
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author Fini Chang
Erin C. Berenz
Olusola Ajilore
Scott A. Langenecker
Helen J. Burgess
K. Luan Phan
Heide Klumpp
author_facet Fini Chang
Erin C. Berenz
Olusola Ajilore
Scott A. Langenecker
Helen J. Burgess
K. Luan Phan
Heide Klumpp
author_sort Fini Chang
collection DOAJ
description Rumination and worry are forms of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) commonly associated with internalizing psychopathologies, although less is known about RNT in trauma-exposed individuals with internalizing psychopathologies. Separate lines of research show RNT also plays a role in problematic sleep, which is frequently experienced after trauma exposure. To address gaps in the literature, the current study examines the impact of sleep and symptoms on RNT in trauma-exposed participants. A transdiagnostic sample of 46 unmedicated treatment-seeking trauma-exposed participants completed standard measures of rumination and worry, as well as clinical measures that assessed posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety severity. Actigraphic sleep variables were sleep duration, wake after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency. Sleep and clinical measures were submitted to multiple regression analyses with rumination and worry as dependent variables. The regression results showed that rumination was significantly explained by WASO and posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity, and the omnibus test was significant. Depression, anxiety, and other estimates of sleep were not significant. No significant results emerged for worry. Preliminary findings suggest that PTSS and WASO, an index of fragmented sleep, may contribute to rumination, but not worry, in trauma-exposed individuals. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine potential causal relationships.
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spelling doaj.art-ed9647c018304c01a0cba42f590db2092023-11-30T21:28:12ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-01-0113113910.3390/brainsci13010139Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed IndividualsFini Chang0Erin C. Berenz1Olusola Ajilore2Scott A. Langenecker3Helen J. Burgess4K. Luan Phan5Heide Klumpp6Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USARumination and worry are forms of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) commonly associated with internalizing psychopathologies, although less is known about RNT in trauma-exposed individuals with internalizing psychopathologies. Separate lines of research show RNT also plays a role in problematic sleep, which is frequently experienced after trauma exposure. To address gaps in the literature, the current study examines the impact of sleep and symptoms on RNT in trauma-exposed participants. A transdiagnostic sample of 46 unmedicated treatment-seeking trauma-exposed participants completed standard measures of rumination and worry, as well as clinical measures that assessed posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety severity. Actigraphic sleep variables were sleep duration, wake after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency. Sleep and clinical measures were submitted to multiple regression analyses with rumination and worry as dependent variables. The regression results showed that rumination was significantly explained by WASO and posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity, and the omnibus test was significant. Depression, anxiety, and other estimates of sleep were not significant. No significant results emerged for worry. Preliminary findings suggest that PTSS and WASO, an index of fragmented sleep, may contribute to rumination, but not worry, in trauma-exposed individuals. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine potential causal relationships.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/1/139ruminationworrytraumaactigraphysleepperseverative cognitions
spellingShingle Fini Chang
Erin C. Berenz
Olusola Ajilore
Scott A. Langenecker
Helen J. Burgess
K. Luan Phan
Heide Klumpp
Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
Brain Sciences
rumination
worry
trauma
actigraphy
sleep
perseverative cognitions
title Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
title_full Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
title_fullStr Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
title_full_unstemmed Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
title_short Actigraphic Wake after Sleep Onset and Symptom Severity Correspond with Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
title_sort actigraphic wake after sleep onset and symptom severity correspond with rumination in trauma exposed individuals
topic rumination
worry
trauma
actigraphy
sleep
perseverative cognitions
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/1/139
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