Insomnia and Self-medication among pharmacists in Saudi Arabia

Insomnia is considered one of the most common sleep disorders. One-third of the world’s population has one or more symptoms of insomnia, with 10% satisfying the criteria for clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of insomnia among pharmacists working in Saudi Arabia and its association with self-medication. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed online by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, targeting pharmacists from different working areas in Saudi Arabia. The survey included socio-demographic data, level of education, working area, and work experience; use of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic sleeping aid; reasons for self-medication; and the Insomnia Severity Index questionnaire. A total of 515 pharmacists participated in the study (male 53.4% vs. female 46.6%). The prevalence of clinically significant insomnia was 48.2%. Of these, 66.5% were mild, 29.8% were moderate, and 3.6% were severe. The prevalence of pharmacists currently using sleep aid medications was 22.7%. Factors associated with clinically significant insomnia were younger age (21 – 30 years), female sex, unmarried status, living in the central region, chronic diseases, history of psychiatric disorder, consultation with a health care professional, current use of sleep aid medications, and use of psychological and behavioral intervention as a sleeping aid. Insomnia is common among pharmacists in Saudi Arabia, but self-medication is uncommon. Of all pharmacists, female young adults who were not married and had a previous history of psychiatric disorders were greatly affected by insomnia and self-medicated the most.