The mediating effect of sleep quality on exposure to community violence and posttraumatic stress symptoms in the United States

The role of sleep quality is not yet fully understood in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to community violence. Thus, the primary aim of this study is to examine the mediating effect of sleep quality in the relationship between community violence exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey administered to an online opt-in panel of adults in the United States in 2023 (age ≥ 18 years) (N = 342), respondents reported on their exposure to community violence, sleep quality, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Covariate-adjusted regressions were used to test these relationships. Directly experiencing community violence was associated with poorer sleep quality (β = 0.11, 95 % CI 0.02, 0.20, p = 0.022) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (β = 0.33, 95 % CI 0.17, 0.48, p = < 0.001), and poorer sleep quality predicted greater posttraumatic stress symptoms (β = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.58, 0.91, p = 0<.001). Further, sleep quality was a partial mediator (β = 0.24, 95 % CI 0.04, 0.50, p = 0.028), accounting for 24 % of the relationship. Findings from this study help deepen understanding of the processes that contribute to the development of PTSD and provide insights into possible interventions, including treatment for sleep problems in the aftermath of violence exposure as a means for lessening the mental health burdens of community violence.