The Relationship between Anxiety, Depression, and Somatization on Overall Sleep Quality in Special Operations Forces Soldiers

Sleep disturbances are prevalent among military personnel and are closely linked to psychological distress, particularly within Special Operations Forces (SOF), who face unique operational stressors. This study examined associations between psychological symptom reporting—anxiety, depression, somatization—and sleep quality, with the moderating role of age in active-duty SOF Soldiers. One hundred sixty-eight Soldiers completed the Brief Symptom Inventory18 (BSI-18) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as part of a retrospective cohort design. Multiple linear regression models assessed individual, interaction, and combined effects of psychological variables on sleep quality while adjusting for age. Anxiety and somatization significantly predicted poorer sleep; whereas, depression was not significant when accounting for shared variance across psychological domains. Age moderated the anxiety–sleep relationship, indicating variability across the career span. Findings highlight anxiety and somatic symptom burden as key contributors to sleep disturbance and underscore the need for targeted screening and intervention strategies in SOF populations.