Falls Church, VA, Dec. 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The fact that military veterans experience sleep disorders is well known, but the barriers to obtaining appropriate treatment and the potential benefits of new sleep monitoring devices and behavioral sleep coaching models is only beginning to be explored. VetAdvisor® and Dr. Michael Smith, Director of Johns Hopkins University Center for Behavior and Health, today announced that they will collect the data necessary to understand veteran sleep issues by conducting a national veteran sleep survey.
Johns Hopkins' sleep expert Smith will serve as the survey's primary research partner. Smith developed questions aimed at helping to delineate the multiple potential causes of sleep disturbances in the veteran population and the extent to which these causes may be amenable to behavioral and coaching-related interventions. An important dimension of the survey is to understand the barriers that veterans face with respect to seeking appropriate medical and/or behavioral health treatment for their sleep problems.
"The results of this study will greatly broaden our understanding of the multiple factors that contribute to the high rates of sleep disturbance among veterans and the extent to which veterans consider and are motivated improve their sleep as a key dimension of their overall health," Smith says.
Beyond providing researchers a better understanding of veteran sleep disorders and their treatment needs, the survey's results will help in the development of VetAdvisor's veteran-centric services. "It's important to us to not only know more about the veteran population who have sleep disorders, but also to know how best to tailor our coaching and monitoring programs to better serve that population," VetAdvisor® CEO Dan Frank explains. "Everyone can be affected by sleep issues, veteran and non-veteran alike, so this is also a non-stigmatizing way identify and connect veterans with both VetAdvisor's comprehensive holistic wellness program and appropriate sleep-related medical care."
All veterans are encouraged to take part in the study, which can be accessed at www.vetsleep.org.
For more information about VetAdvisor®, visit www.myvetadvisor.com. More on the Johns Hopkins Center for Behavior and Health can be found at http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/behaviorandhealth.
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About VetAdvisor®: VetAdvisor® provides proactive preventative care to military veterans, supporting them throughout their journey by managing behavioral health, wellness, financial, and employment issues. We also consult with corporate HR and management teams to teach organizations how to recruit, retain, and interface with military veterans and service members. For more information, visit www.myvetadvisor.com.