| In recent years, healthcare professionals have been concerned with assessment and treatment of the posttraumatic sequelae of intimate partner violence (IPV), including sleep disturbance. Restorative sleep is necessary for mental and physical health, and sleep disturbance both reflects and exacerbates posttraumatic stress. The aim of this study was to examine sleep problems among women in Hong Kong who have experienced IPV. Participants were 15 women who self-reported IPV experience (SR-IPV), and 15 women who did not (SR-NIPV), with a mean age of 41.17, recruited from a community services center. The research conducted in an impoverished, densely-populated, inner-city district with a disproportionately high number of immigrants from China. A majority (86.7%) were unemployed, had a junior high school education or less (76.6%), and had immigrated from Mainland China (86.7%).;The outcome measures included the Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI), Chinese Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), Chinese version of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL), a wristband sleep sensor recording device known as JawboneRTM (worn for 2 nights), a sleep diary, and a semi-structured interview exploring barriers to sleep, such as nightmares, environmental noise, concerns about safety, and attempts to manage sleep problems. Results showed group differences in history of IPV and PTSD symptoms. Both groups reported high levels of nightmares and other sleep disruptions relative to published Hong Kong data. Across the sample, degree of past violent acts and level of PTSD symptoms were associated with poorer sleep quality. However, CPSQI scores did not distinguish the two groups, which may be attributed to the SR-NIPV participants' experiences of more subtle forms of IPV, psychological aggression and sexual coercion, which they did not initially report at the study's outset. In interviews, participants in both groups described nightmares, negative presleep cognitions, environmental noise, and engagement in activities that potentially exacerbated sleep problems. More education is needed regarding identification of IPV and its effects and the importance of sleep hygiene among the Chinese community in Hong Kong, especially among trauma survivors. |
