Indirect Effects Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments On Work Withdrawal: A Quasi-Experimental Treatment Outcome Study

The effect of sleep on work is now receiving appropriate research attention, yet most results have been based on community (i.e., nonclinical) populations. Based on previous findings that clinical treatment for diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea benefits sleep quality, we hypothesized that sleep quality would mediate the effects of such treatment on work withdrawal behaviors (i.e., emotional exhaustion, cognitive distraction, work neglect, and partial absenteeism). A total of 125 adults with potential sleep apnea, who were referred to a midsized hospital's sleep disorders laboratory, participated in this 3-wave (pretest, posttest 1 month following initial treatment, and a follow-up 3 months later), quasi-experimental study. Clinical assessment using pretest data resulted in 83 participants being diagnosed with sleep apnea and receiving treatment (i.e., continuous positive airway pressure, n = 62; or positional therapy, n = 21); 42 patients who were not diagnosed with sleep apnea comprised the control group. Consistent with our hypotheses, treatment positively affected sleep quality, which in turn decreased emotional exhaustion, cognitive distraction, and partial absenteeism (but not work neglect). We discuss the implications of these findings for future research on sleep and its work-related consequences and organizational practice.