Racial discrimination, sleep disturbances, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in an acute trauma sample of Black adults

Introduction: Black Americans experience racial discrimination, which has been related to increased mental health problems and sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances are also a symptom, and a predictor, of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The current longitudinal study examined the role of sleep disturbances in the relationship between racial discrimination and PTSD symptoms in a trauma sample of Black adults in the United States. Methods: Black trauma survivors (N = 84; 49 women; M age = 34.74) reported their lifetime experiences of racial discrimination, sleep disturbances (3 months post-trauma), and PTSD symptoms (clinically assessed 6 months post-trauma). Bivariate correlations examined the associations between the variables, and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) investigated differences in PTSD symptoms across reported levels of sleep disturbances. Lastly, a mediation model evaluated the role of sleep disturbances on the relationship between racial discrimination and PTSD. Results: Racial discrimination was associated with increased sleep disturbances and PTSD symptoms. Participants with more severe sleep disturbances showed higher PTSD symptoms when compared to those with no or minimal sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances significantly mediated the effect of racial discrimination on PTSD symptoms 6 months post-trauma (B = 0.125, CI [0.033, 0.250], SE = 0.056), covarying for gender and lifetime trauma exposure. Discussion: Increased racial discrimination is linked to PTSD symptoms in the current study, via sleep disturbances. Findings emphasize that racial discrimination is related to sleep disturbances in Black adults, which, in turn, is associated with PTSD symptoms 6 months post-trauma. Effective interventions targeting sleep disruptions may improve PTSD symptoms for this population.