Table 2.

Studies referring to PTSD, suicidality, and nightmares.

References	Core issue	Sample	Sex (male)	Measurements	Main findings
Bishop et al. (56)	Association among sleep disorders and SA after controlling for several mental disorders, medical comorbidity, and obesity	Veterans (data base review) (n = 60,102, 1:1 case control with no SA), with PTSD: 24.7%	87.1%	Data extraction for SA, sleep disturbance, mental disorders	- Nightmares were after controlling for psychiatric disorders no longer associated with SA - Sleep medicine visits were associated with a reduced risk of SA in sleep disordered patients
Don Richardson et al. (52)	Association between SI and sleep after controlling for probable PTSD, MDD, GAD, AUD	Veterans (n = 324)/Active duty military (n = 80), with PTSD: 72.8%	92.4%	Single item PHQ-9 (SI), quantitative single item (sleep disturbances resp. nightmares), PCL-M (PTSD)	- Nightmares did not predict SI - Probable MDD emerged as the most significant predictor
Don Richardson et al. (59)	Mediating role of depression in the relationship between: (1) sleep disturbances and SI, and (2) trauma-related nightmares and SI after controlling for PTSD-, anxiety-symptom-, and alcohol-use-severity	CAF personnel (17.6%)/ veterans (82.4%) (n = 663), with PTSD: 72.6%	91%	Single item PHQ-9 (SI), - quantitative single item (sleep disturbances resp. nightmares), PCL-M (PTSD)	Trauma-related nightmares were associated with SI as a function of depressive symptoms
Littlewood et al. (71)	Mechanism of the relationship between nightmares and SB in consideration of perceptions of defeat, entrapment, and hopelessness	Trauma-exposed patients (n = 91) with PTSD-symptoms, with confirmed PTSD: n = 51, history of PTSD diagnosis: n = 36	26%	SBQ-R (suicidality), in each cases 2 items of CAPS (nightmares/insomnia), CAPS (PTSD)	- SB were higher in participants who experienced nightmares - Nightmares were directly or indirectly associated with SB, through perceptions of defeat, entrapment, and hopelessness, independent of comorbid insomnia and depression.
McCall et al. (72)*	Examining whether treatment of nightmares with prazosin (nighttime-only) would reduce SI in suicidal PTSD patients	20 adult, suicidal PTSD patients with nightmares in a RCT over 8 weeks; n = 2 were militarian	15%	SSI (SI), DDSNSI (nightmares), ISI (insomnia), CAPS (PTSD)	- All psychometric measures improved over 8 weeks - Nighttime measures of nightmares and insomnia showed less improvement in the prazosin group - No significant changes in daytime measures of SI and daytime-only PTSD symptoms
Raskind et al. (73)*	RCT of Prazosin for PTSD for 26 weeks with three primary outcome measures	Veterans with chronic PTSD and frequent nightmares (n = 304, 1:1 Placebo/Prazosin)	97.7%	Adverse event (SI), CAPS (nightmares), PSQI (sleep quality), PCL-M (PTSD),	- Prazosin did not improve distressing dreams or sleep quality - Adverse event of new or worsening SI occurred in 8% of participants with prazosin vs. 15% with placebo
Selaman et al. (69)	To determine specific DSM-IV symptoms of PTSD that are independently associated with SA	Data from wave 2 of the NESARC (n = 34,653), with PTSD: n = 2,322	27.9%	Single item (nightmares/sleep disturbances/SA), DSM-IV criteria (PTSD)	Association between nightmares and SA, this effect disappeared after adjusting for covariables

^*Denotes studies with longitudinal designs; all others are cross-sectional studies.

Cursive references denotes studies on civilian samples.