Sleep disturbance in clients attending a specialist addiction clinic

Background and Objectives: Sleep problems are common among clients attending alcohol and drug services, yet the specific components of sleep disturbed by primary drug of concern (PDOC), and their relationships to affective disorder symptoms are unclear. Methods: We examined sleep problems in clients (n = 32) attending a specialist addiction clinic. Results: Global sleep quality was rated poor by >90% of participants (particularly disturbances, latency and efficiency components), with significant associations (p <.05) between poor sleep quality and depression (r =.517), anxiety (r =.571) and stress (r =.503). Sleep quality was significantly poorer among those with a nonalcohol PDOC compared with alcohol as PDOC, t(22) = 3.09, p =.005. Conclusion and Scientific Significance: Poor sleep is almost ubiquitous among clients attending alcohol and drug services. However, components of sleep quality disturbed differ in terms of PDOC, highlighting the need for individualised sleep interventions.