0729 The Influence of Sexual Orientation and Socio-Demographics on Sleep After a Depressive Episode

Abstract Introduction Our study addresses the gap in understanding sleep health among adults with depressive episodes, where sleep disturbances are common. We primarily investigate sleep disorder prevalence among sexual and gender minorities (SGM), while also examining the influence of sociodemographic factors in this context. Methods Our study analyzes data from the 2020-2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The initial sample was 90,927, with an analytical sample of 15,244 after restricting the analyses to people experiencing depressive episodes. All estimates were weighted to account for the multistage sampling design. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of all variables of interest, including tobacco and nicotine use, age, gender, ethnicity/race, income group, marital status, education, and the year of data collection. Then, to examine these relationships in a multivariable manner, we computed generalized linear models (using Poisson and log-link) to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios for each covariate. Results Among participants with a history of depressive episodes, the majority identified as female (61.3%) and non-Hispanic White (71.3%). An estimated 82.3% of these individuals reported sleep difficulties in their lifetime. Within this subset, an estimated 4.63% (95% CI: 4.01-5.33) identified themselves as gay/lesbian, and an estimated 14.1% (95% CI: 13.0-15.2) as bisexual. Compared to heterosexuals, gay/lesbian individuals had 1.06 times the prevalence of sleep difficulties (p = 0.038), and bisexual individuals also had 1.06 times the prevalence of sleep difficulties (p = 0.009). Individuals who had completed a college degree or higher had 0.89 times lower prevalence of sleep difficulties compared to those who had not completed high school (p 0.001). Finally, Hispanics had a 1.05 higher prevalence of sleep difficulties compared to non-Hispanic Whites (p = 0.015). Conclusion The study reveals significant disparities in sleep quality among different subgroups of individuals with depressive episodes. Gay/lesbian or bisexual individuals exhibit higher rates of sleep difficulties compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between sleep difficulties and factors like ethnicity and educational attainment, suggesting a complex interplay of socio-demographic elements. These insights highlight the need for therapeutic strategies in mental health care that are cognizant of sexual orientation, educational background, and ethnicity. Support (if any)