Analysis of Sleep, Mood, Behavior, and Suicide Risk of Sailors on the USS Ashland
Abstract
U.S. Navy sailors experience long periods of sleep deprivation while performing risky tasks requiring skill and concentration. Prior studies have identified this problem area, but changes to the Navys culture have been slow. This thesis highlights sleep deprivation of sailors and its effects on their mood, behavior, and risk of suicide. It also compares the sleep duration of sailors on the USS Ashland (LSD-48) to other platforms in the Navy. This study is important because of the high cost of failure as shown by recent collisions and multiple suicides. We have conducted a longitudinal, cross-sectional study of sailors sleep habits and have analyzed the data to determine sleep habits of sailors, used statistical methods to analyze the impact of sleep on mood and behavior, and conducted a review of scientific literature to explore the risk factors of suicide. This study found that the sailors on the Ashland averaged 6.33 +/- 1.14 hours of sleep. This amount of sleep is comparable to other archival naval studies, with 32 (87%) of those 37 studies showing that sailors sleep less than the recommended amount. Lack of sleep was found to be related to worse total mood disorder and increased probability of risky behavior. Finally, numerous suicide risk factors were found to be present in the study participants. Sailors across the Navy are sleep deprived and are at an increased risk of suicide or mishap.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1126543
Entities
People
- Eric M. Myers
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School