Values Expressed by Women Veterans Receiving Treatment for Chronic Insomnia Disorder

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Insomnia may contribute to fewer value-consistent choices and less engagement in meaningful life activities. We sought to identify values commonly expressed by women veterans engaged in a trial testing psychological treatment of insomnia disorder.

Methods

Seventy-four women veterans (mean age = 48.3 [±13] years), meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder received an acceptance-based behavioral treatment for insomnia. In the first session, participants responded to questions regarding personal values and the impact of insomnia on those values. Responses were categorized into values domains informed by the Bull’s Eye Values survey (level 1 categories) and the Valued Living Questionnaire (level 2 categories).

Results

Raters reached 100% agreement after independent coding and adjudication. Level 1 value categories in frequency order were: relationships (n = 68), personal care/health (n = 51), work/education (n = 46), pets (n = 12), and leisure (n = 5). The most frequently reported level 2 value categories were: family (other than marriage/parenting; n = 50), parenting (n = 31), work (n = 31), physical health (n = 30), and spirituality (n = 19). The level 1 value categories impacted by insomnia in frequency order were: personal care/health (n = 65), relationships (n = 58), work/education (n = 46), pets (n = 12), and leisure (n = 5).

Conclusions

Women veterans undergoing insomnia treatment highly value relationships and personal care/health, which should be considered patient-centered outcomes of insomnia treatments.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT02076165.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data avaliablity statement

Data may be available through execution of a data use agreement between the recipient at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2023.2260517

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Veterans Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (VA HSR&D) IIR 16-244 (PI: Martin); VA HSR&D Research Career Scientist Award RCS 20-191(PI: Martin), National Institutes of Health/National Heart Lung Blood Institute K24 HL143055 (PI: Martin) and K23 HL157754 (PI: Kelly); Veterans Administration HSR&D Career Development Award CDA 20-227 (PI: Carlson); and National Institute on Aging (K23AG055668, PI: Song). VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center and VA Office of Academic Affiliations (Kelly, Carlson).