Association between Unmet Mental Health Need and Sleep Apnea among U.S. Veterans

Event Center A & B

Objective- The current empirical evidence has demonstrated a putative association between mental illness and other chronic conditions, including sleep apnea. The literature, however, remains limited on addressing the association between unmet mental health need and prevalence of sleep apnea. Given the high prevalence of both mental illness and sleep apnea among Veterans, in this study we addressed such a gap in the literature by focusing on the said population. Methods- We utilized the 2008-2013 National on Drug Use and Health data a national population-based survey in the United States. Survey-weighted univariate and bivariate analysis were utilized. A total of 13,273 Veterans were included in the study, representative of annual population estimate of 24,571,997. Results- A prevalence of past year sleep apnea was 6.1% while prevalence of past year unmet mental health need was noted to be 2.7% among Veterans in our study. A significantly higher prevalence of sleep apnea was found among those with unmet health need as compared to those without such need (10% vs. 6.0%). Similarly, a significant association was noted between sleep and age (50-64ys 8.4% vs. 18-34 yrs. 2.5%), sex (males 6.3% vs. female 3.9%), and marital status (currently married 6.7% vs. not currently married 4.8%). In addition, higher prevalence of sleep apnea was noted among those with asthma, as compared to those without (14.4% vs.6.0%). Conclusion- The unmet mental health need and sleep apnea nexus is significant among the US Veterans. Such results justify the need for integrated care in order to address the association burden of increased sleep apnea among Veterans with unmet mental health need.