Guided Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural treatment for insomnia: a randomized trial

Applying therapist-guided digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in psychiatry: a mixed-methods process evaluation

INTRODUCTION

Insomnia is prevalent, particularly among individuals with mental health complaints. However, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), the first-line treatment, is underutilized in care settings. This study evaluated a therapist-guided digital CBT-I (i-Sleep), gathering insights from participants and therapists to optimize the intervention and inform implementation strategies.

METHODS

A mixed-methods process evaluation, guided by the RE-AIM framework, was conducted alongside an effectiveness trial. Data were collected from i-Sleep participants with clinically relevant insomnia and various mental health complaints across all care levels, ranging from pre-clinical (unattended), to those referred to general or specialized care. Additionally, data were collected from i-Sleep therapists.

RESULTS

A total of 181 i-Sleep participants (mean age = 46.7 years, SD = 13.2) enrolled, with an attrition rate of 21.6%. Participants reported benefits including faster sleep onset, fewer nighttime awakenings, increased daytime energy, and positive lifestyle changes, though some experienced minimal gains or adverse effects. Satisfaction with the intervention ranged from 7.1 to 7.3 across care levels. Post-intervention, 89.4% of all participants indicated they would recommend iCBT-I. Satisfaction with therapist guidance was high (M = 7.7-8.3), though preferences for format and frequency varied. Therapists (n = 15, mean experience = 0.8 years, SD = 1.1) suggested addressing practical constraints and enhancing training for better integration into routine care.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the feasibility and potential of therapist-guided iCBT-I to improve sleep in individuals with mental health complaints across all care settings. Universal implementation could offer significant benefits, while adaptable content and flexible guidance may better meet individual needs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register (NL9776) registered on 07/10/2021.

Network meta-analysis examining efficacy of components of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is recommended as first-line treatment for insomnia. CBT-I is a multi-component intervention comprising psychoeducation, sleep restriction, stimulus control, cognitive, and relaxation therapy. The relative efficacy of its components has yet to be investigated with state-of-the-art meta-analytic methods. PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and CINAHL were searched according to a pre-registered protocol using search terms indicative of insomnia and CBTI. Baseline-to-post-treatment effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated in a component network meta-analysis. Eighty studies representing 15,351 participants (mean age 44.9 years, 70.1 % female) were included. For the primary outcome insomnia severity, a significant positive effect for sleep restriction therapy (d = -0.45; 95 % CI: [-0.63; -0.36]) was found. Overall, the results suggest that sleep restriction therapy improves self-reported sleep continuity and sleep quality, and stimulus control therapy improves self-reported and objective total sleep time. No significant effects of psychoeducation, relaxation therapy, and cognitive therapy, and no further significant effects of any CBT-I component on objective sleep parameters were found. The most common sources of bias were a lack of blinding, missing outcome data, and the absence of study protocols. The current results suggest that sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control therapy are the most effective components of CBT-I.

Protocol of a randomized controlled trial into guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in autistic adults (i-Sleep Autism)

BACKGROUND

Sleep problems, especially insomnia, are prevalent among autistic adults, affecting about 60 %, and significantly impact their quality of life. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (iCBT-I) could provide accessible and scalable treatment. Given the unique sensory- and information processing, and social challenges at play in autism, a tailored treatment approach may be essential to tackle sleep problems. Yet, interventions developed and tested specifically for autistic adults were scarce. Addressing this gap is crucial to meet the urgent need for effective insomnia treatments in this population.

METHODS

With this two-arm, parallel, superiority randomized controlled trial, we will assess the effectiveness of a guided iCBT-I intervention for adults (N = 160) with autism and insomnia (i-Sleep Autism). In co-creation, i-Sleep Autism has been adjusted from an existing intervention (i-Sleep). Inclusion criteria are: age ≥ 18, an ASD diagnosis, and at least sub-threshold insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index ≥10). Participants are randomly assigned to either i-Sleep Autism or an information only waitlist control condition (online psychoeducation and sleep hygiene). After 6 weeks, the control group receives the intervention. Insomnia severity is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include pre-sleep arousal, general mental health, depression, anxiety, daily functioning, and quality of life. Assessments will occur at baseline, mid-intervention (3 weeks), post-intervention (6 weeks), and at 6-month follow-up (the intervention group). Linear mixed-effect regression models are employed to evaluate the effectiveness of i-Sleep Autism, alongside exploration of potential moderators and mediators.

CONCLUSION

This trial can reveal whether autistic adults with insomnia benefit from a guided e-health intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NL-OMON56692.

The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on sleep and glycemic outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Investigate whether aiding sleep by online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can improve glycemic and metabolic control, mood, quality of life (QoL) and insomnia symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes and assess the mediating role of lifestyle factors.

METHODS

Adults with type 2 diabetes and insomnia symptoms were randomly assigned to CBT-I or care as usual. At baseline, three and six months we assessed HbA1c as primary outcome and glycemic control, metabolic outcomes, sleep, mood and QoL as secondary outcomes. Mixed models were used to determine within-person and between-persons differences in outcomes and mediation analysis for lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

We randomized 29 participants to CBT-I and 28 to care as usual. Intention-to-treat analysis showed no significant differences in glycemic control, metabolic outcomes, anger, distress or QoL, but showed a significantly larger decrease in insomnia (-1.37(2.65: 0.09)) and depressive symptoms (-0.92(-1.77: 0.06)) and increase in BMI (0.29 kg/m2(0.00:0.57)) in the intervention compared to the control group. Only half of the intervention participants completed the CBT-I. Per protocol analysis showed a not statistically significant decrease in HbA1c (-2.10 mmol/l(-4.83:0.63)) and glucose (-0.39 mmol/l(-1.19:0.42)), metabolic outcomes and increase in QoL. Furthermore, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in insomnia (-2.22(-3.65: 0.78)) and depressive symptoms (-1.18(-2.17: 0.19)) compared to the control group. Lifestyle factors partially mediated the effect of the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

CBT-I might improve insomnia symptoms and mood, and perhaps improves glycemic control, albeit not significant, in people with type 2 diabetes and insomnia symptoms, compared to care as usual.

Efficacy of Remote Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia in Improving Health Status of Patients with Insomnia Symptoms: A Meta-analysis

Background

Insomnia is highly prevalent and cognitive behavioural therapy is the first-line treatment for it. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of remote cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, specifically, treatment fully delivered through the internet, mobile phones and telephones for sleep and other health outcomes in adults diagnosed with insomnia or reporting insomnia symptoms. This study also aimed to evaluate the effect of various intervention components as subgroup variables to explain the efficacy of remote cognitive behavioural therapy on health outcomes.

Methods

Randomised controlled trial studies were obtained from five electronic databases. The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. A random effect model was used to assess the mean difference, standardised mean difference and standard deviation of the outcome variables. Heterogeneity among the study articles was assessed using I2 and Q tests. Egger regression analysis was used to assess publication bias.

Results

Remote cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia had significant and positive effects on improving sleep outcomes, depression, anxiety, fatigue and mental health compared with the control conditions. Its effect on physical health was not significant. The effect of the therapy was enhanced when the total length of intervention was shorter than 6 weeks, delivered via the internet and did not include therapist support.

Conclusion

Remote cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is effective in improving sleep quality, depression, anxiety, fatigue and mental health in insomnia patients.

Cognitive, Behavioral, and Circadian Rhythm Interventions for Insomnia Alter Emotional Brain Responses

BACKGROUND

The highest risk of depression is conveyed by insomnia. This risk can be mitigated by sleep interventions. Understanding brain mechanisms underlying increased emotional stability following insomnia treatment could provide insight relevant to the prevention of depression. Here, we investigated how different sleep interventions alter emotion-related brain activity in people with insomnia at high risk of developing depression.

METHODS

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess how the amygdala response to emotional stimuli (negative facial expression) in 122 people with insomnia disorder differed from 36 control subjects and how the amygdala response changed after 6 weeks of either no treatment or internet-based circadian rhythm support (CRS), cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or their combination (CBT-I+CRS). Effects on depression, insomnia and anxiety severity were followed up for 1 year.

RESULTS

Only combined treatment (CBT-I+CRS) significantly increased the amygdala response, compared with no treatment, CBT-I, and CRS. Individual differences in the degree of response enhancement were associated with improvement of insomnia symptoms directly after treatment (r = -0.41, p = .021). Moreover, exclusively CBT-I+CRS enhanced responsiveness of the left insula, which occurred in proportion to the reduction in depressive symptom severity (r = -0.37, p = .042).

CONCLUSIONS

This functional magnetic resonance imaging study on insomnia treatment, the largest to date, shows that a combined cognitive, behavioral, and circadian intervention enhances emotional brain responsiveness and might improve resilience in patients with insomnia who are at high risk of developing depression.

The European Insomnia Guideline: An update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia 2023

Progress in the field of insomnia since 2017 necessitated this update of the European Insomnia Guideline. Recommendations for the diagnostic procedure for insomnia and its comorbidities are: clinical interview (encompassing sleep and medical history); the use of sleep questionnaires and diaries (and physical examination and additional measures where indicated) (A). Actigraphy is not recommended for the routine evaluation of insomnia (C), but may be useful for differential-diagnostic purposes (A). Polysomnography should be used to evaluate other sleep disorders if suspected (i.e. periodic limb movement disorder, sleep-related breathing disorders, etc.), treatment-resistant insomnia (A) and for other indications (B). Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia is recommended as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults of any age (including patients with comorbidities), either applied in-person or digitally (A). When cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia is not sufficiently effective, a pharmacological intervention can be offered (A). Benzodiazepines (A), benzodiazepine receptor agonists (A), daridorexant (A) and low-dose sedating antidepressants (B) can be used for the short-term treatment of insomnia (≤ 4 weeks). Longer-term treatment with these substances may be initiated in some cases, considering advantages and disadvantages (B). Orexin receptor antagonists can be used for periods of up to 3 months or longer in some cases (A). Prolonged-release melatonin can be used for up to 3 months in patients ≥ 55 years (B). Antihistaminergic drugs, antipsychotics, fast-release melatonin, ramelteon and phytotherapeutics are not recommended for insomnia treatment (A). Light therapy and exercise interventions may be useful as adjunct therapies to cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (B).

Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as a first-line treatment, its efficacy for workers with insomnia remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of CBT-I in the management of insomnia symptoms in workers. We searched the literature in three electronic databases, namely PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase, and included 21 studies in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, CBT-I overall resulted in significant improvements in terms of severity of insomnia (g = -0.91), sleep onset latency (g = -0.62), wakefulness after sleep onset (g = -0.60), early morning awakening (g = -0.58), and sleep efficiency (g = 0.71). However, there was no improvement in the total sleep time relative to that in the control group. Furthermore, CBT-I significantly alleviated depressive (g = -0.37) and anxiety (g = -0.35) symptoms and fatigue (g = -0.47) compared with the control group. Our study findings suggest that both web-based and face-to-face CBT-I are effective interventions for managing insomnia symptoms in daytime workers, although it is important to note that only face-to-face CBT-I achieved clinically meaningful changes. The effectiveness of CBT-I for shift workers could not be determined.

Does insomnia treatment prevent depression?

Rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) are increasing globally, in part due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, contributing to disease burden. It has long been known that insomnia is intricately connected with depression as indicated by greater depression severity and lower treatment response. Furthermore, insomnia is a significant risk factor for new-onset depression. Treatment of insomnia is thus a logical target for prevention of incidents and recurrent MDD. This systematic review sought to evaluate the current evidence for the preventive effects of insomnia treatment on depression onset. A database search yielded 186 studies, six of which met criteria for inclusion in this review. All of the studies utilized cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBT-I) as the target intervention and most delivered treatment via a digital platform. Four of the studies found significantly lower rates of MDD onset in those who received CBT-I compared to a control condition. The two remaining studies failed to confirm these effects in primary analyses but secondary analyses suggested evidence of a preventive effect. There was significant methodologic heterogeneity across studies in terms of sample selection, outcomes, and follow-up periods, limiting the ability to draw firm conclusions. The evidence overall is in the direction of insomnia treatment reducing the risk for onset of MDD, but further research is warranted.

Digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite research into the development of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I), research into the outcomes of dCBT-I on insomnia and the associated clinical conditions of depression and anxiety have been limited. The PubMed, PsycINFO (Ovid), Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on adult patients with insomnia also having reported measures of depressive or anxiety symptoms. In total, 2504 articles were identified after duplicate removal, and 22 RCTs were included in the final meta-analysis. At the post-treatment assessment, the dCBT-I group had a small to moderate effect in alleviating depressive (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.42; 95% CI: -0.56, -0.28; p < 0.001; k = 21) and anxiety symptoms (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI: -0.40, -0.19; p < 0.001; k = 18), but had a large effect on sleep outcome measures (SMD = -0.76; 95% CI: -0.95, -0.57; p < 0.001; k = 22). When considering treatment adherence, the treatment effects of those in the high adherent groups identified a more robust outcome, showing greater effect sizes than those in the low adherent groups for depression, anxiety, and sleep outcomes. Furthermore, additional subgroup analysis on studies that have used the fully automated dCBT-I treatment without the support of human therapists reported significant treatment effects for depression, anxiety, and sleep outcomes. The results demonstrated that digital intervention for insomnia yielded significant effects on alleviating depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as insomnia symptoms. Specifically, the study demonstrated significant effects on the above symptoms when considering treatment adherence and implementing fully automated dCBT-I.

eHealth-Based Psychosocial Interventions for Adults With Insomnia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, insomnia remains a highly prevalent public health problem. eHealth presents a novel opportunity to deliver effective, accessible, and affordable insomnia treatments on a population-wide scale. However, there is no quantitative integration of evidence regarding the effectiveness of eHealth-based psychosocial interventions on insomnia.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth-based psychosocial interventions for insomnia and investigate the influence of specific study characteristics and intervention features on these effects.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from database inception to February 16, 2021, for publications investigating eHealth-based psychosocial interventions targeting insomnia and updated the search of PubMed to December 6, 2021. We also screened gray literature for unpublished data. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials of eHealth-based psychosocial interventions targeting adults with insomnia. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to assess primary and secondary outcomes. Primary outcomes were insomnia severity and sleep quality. Meta-analyses were performed by pooling the effects of eHealth-based psychosocial interventions on insomnia compared with inactive and in-person conditions. We performed subgroup analyses and metaregressions to explore specific factors that affected the effectiveness. Secondary outcomes included sleep diary parameters and mental health-related outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 19,980 identified records, 37 randomized controlled trials (13,227 participants) were included. eHealth-based psychosocial interventions significantly reduced insomnia severity (Hedges g=-1.01, 95% CI -1.12 to -0.89; P<.001) and improved sleep quality (Hedges g=-0.58, 95% CI -0.75 to -0.41; P<.001) compared with inactive control conditions, with no evidence of publication bias. We found no significant difference compared with in-person treatment in alleviating insomnia severity (Hedges g=0.41, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.85; P=.06) and a significant advantage for in-person treatment in enhancing sleep quality (Hedges g=0.56, 95% CI 0.24-0.88; P<.001). eHealth-based psychosocial interventions had significantly larger effects (P=.01) on alleviating insomnia severity in clinical samples than in subclinical samples. eHealth-based psychosocial interventions that incorporated guidance from trained therapists had a significantly greater effect on insomnia severity (P=.05) and sleep quality (P=.02) than those with guidance from animated therapists or no guidance. Higher baseline insomnia severity and longer intervention duration were associated with a larger reduction in insomnia severity (P=.004). eHealth-based psychosocial interventions significantly improved each secondary outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

eHealth interventions for insomnia are effective in improving sleep and mental health and can be considered a promising treatment for insomnia. Our findings support the wider dissemination of eHealth interventions and their further promotion in a stepped-care model. Offering blended care could improve treatment effectiveness. Future research needs to elucidate which specific intervention components are most important to achieve intervention effectiveness. Blended eHealth interventions may be tailored to benefit people with low socioeconomic status, limited access to health care, or lack of eHealth literacy.

Do better nights lead to better days? Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in people suffering from a range of mental health problems: Protocol of a pragmatic randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Insomnia is the transdiagnostically shared most common complaint in disorders of anxiety, stress and emotion regulation. Current cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for these disorders do not address sleep, while good sleep is essential for regulating emotions and learning new cognitions and behaviours: the core fundaments of CBT. This transdiagnostic randomized control trial (RCT) evaluates whether guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (iCBT-I) (1) improves sleep, (2) affects the progression of emotional distress and (3) enhances the effectiveness of regular treatment of people with clinically relevant symptoms of emotional disorders across all mental health care (MHC) echelons.

METHODS

We aim for 576 completers with clinically relevant symptoms of insomnia as well as at least one of the dimensions of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder (PD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants are either pre-clinical, unattended, or referred to general- or specialized MHC. Using covariate-adaptive randomization, participants will be assigned to a 5 to 8-week iCBT-I (i-Sleep) or a control condition (sleep diary only) and assessed at baseline, and after two and eight months. The primary outcome is insomnia severity. Secondary outcomes address sleep, severity of mental health symptoms, daytime functioning, mental health protective lifestyles, well-being, and process evaluation measures. Analyses use linear mixed-effect regression models.

DISCUSSION

This study can reveal for whom, and at which stage of disease progression, better nights could mean substantially better days.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (NL9776). Registered on 2021-10-07.

Comparative efficacy of onsite, digital, and other settings for cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Given the limited availability and accessibility of onsite cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), other CBT-I settings, such as internet-delivered CBT-I (iCBT-I), have been proposed. The primary aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of available CBT-I settings on insomnia severity. A systematic review and frequentist network meta-analysis of available CBT-I settings was performed. PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating any CBT-I settings in adults with insomnia disorder. The systematic literature search (3851 references) resulted in 52 RCTs. For the primary outcome insomnia severity, all examined CBT-I settings except smartphone-delivered CBT-I yielded significant effects when compared to WL. Large standardized mean differences were found for individual onsite CBT-I (- 1.27;95%CI - 1.70, - 0.84), group-delivered CBT-I (- 1.00;95%CI - 1.42. - 0.59), telehealth (- 1.28;95%CI - 2.06, - 0.50), and guided bibliotherapy (- 0.99;95%CI - 1.67, - 0.32). Both guided iCBT-I (- 0.71;95%CI - 1.18, - 0.24) and unguided iCBT-I (- 0.78;95%CI - 1.18, - 0.38) yielded medium effect sizes. The results underline that health care systems should intensify their efforts to provide synchronously-delivered CBT-I (individual onsite, group-delivered, and telehealth), and particularly individual onsite CBT-I, given its solid evidence base. Medium to large effect sizes for iCBT-I and guided bibliotherapy indicate that self-help settings may be a viable alternative when synchronously-delivered CBT-I is not available.

Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia disorder in depressed patients treated at an outpatient clinic for mood disorders: protocol of a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Major depression is a highly prevalent disorder causing severe personal distress, and high societal costs. Patients with depression often have comorbid insomnia disorder (ID) leading to even worse personal distress and worse treatment outcomes. Recent results from a non-randomised pilot study with internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBTi) for Insomnia (I-Sleep) added to regular depression care were promising regarding feasibility and initial effects on insomnia complaints and depression. However, no randomised controlled trial (RCT) has been performed yet to access the (cost-) effectiveness of I-Sleep for depression. Therefore, this protocol article presents the design of an RCT aimed to assess the (cost-) effectiveness of I-Sleep in addition to usual care for depression compared to usual care alone in depressed patients with a comorbid Insomnia Disorder (ID) treated at outpatient clinics for mood disorders.  METHODS /DESIGN: This is a multi-centre RCT with measurements at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow-up. Patients with depression and an ID are randomised to either I-Sleep treatment followed by regular depression care or to regular depression care alone. Our aim is to recruit one hundred and seventy-five patients from multiple outpatient clinics for mood disorders. The primary outcome is the change in depressive symptoms over 12 months of follow-up measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Secondary outcomes are recovery from depression (PHQ-9), insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), daily functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale, WSAS), general quality of life (EuroQol 5-level version, EQ-5D-5L), and societal costs (Adapted versions of the iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire, iPCQ and iMTA Medical Cost Questionnaire, iMCQ).

DISCUSSION

We hypothesize that the addition of I-Sleep to usual care will result in a significant improvement in depression treatment outcomes and quality of life as well as a decrease in healthcare and societal costs compared to usual care alone. This study is the first pragmatic RCT evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding CBTi to usual care for depression.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register (NL8955). Registered on October 6^th2020. https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NL8955.

Investigating the effectiveness of electronically delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (e-CBTi) compared to pharmaceutical interventions in treating insomnia: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders characterized by an inability to fall or stay asleep. Available treatments include pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi). Although CBTi is the first-line treatment, it has limited availability. Therapist-guided electronic delivery of CBT for insomnia (e-CBTi) offers scalable solutions to enhance access to CBTi. While e-CBTi produces comparable outcomes to in-person CBTi, there is a lack of comparison to active pharmacotherapies. Therefore, direct comparisons between e-CBTi and trazodone, one of the most frequently prescribed medications for insomnia, is essential in establishing the effectiveness of this novel digital therapy in the health care system.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a therapist-guided electronically-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (e-CBTi) program to trazodone in patients with insomnia.

METHODS

Patients (n = 60) will be randomly assigned to two groups: treatment as usual (TAU) + trazodone and TAU + e-CBTi for seven weeks. Each weekly sleep module will be delivered through the Online Psychotherapy Tool (OPTT), a secure, online mental health care delivery platform. Changes in insomnia symptoms will be evaluated throughout the study using clinically validated symptomatology questionnaires, Fitbits, and other behavioural variables.

RESULTS

Participant recruitment began in November 2021. To date, 18 participants have been recruited. Data collection is expected to conclude by December 2022 and analyses are expected to be completed by January 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This comparative study will improve our understanding of the efficacy of therapist-guided e-CBTi in managing insomnia. These findings can be used to develop more accessible and effective treatment options and influence clinical practices for insomnia to further expand mental health care capacity in this population.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05125146).

Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Effective for Improving Sleep Duration in Individuals with Insomnia? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that sleep duration is a critical determinant of physical and mental health. Half of the individuals with chronic insomnia report less than optimal sleep duration. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment for reducing sleep difficulties in individuals with chronic insomnia. However, its effectiveness for increasing sleep duration is less well-established and a synthesis of these findings is lacking.

Purpose

To provide a synthesis of findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of CBT-I on subjective and objective total sleep time (TST).

Methods

A systematic search was performed on articles published from 2004 to 05/30/2021. A total of 43 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Publication biases were examined. Meta-regressions were conducted to examine if any sample or treatment characteristics moderated the effect sizes across trials.

Results

We found a small average effect of CBT-I on diary-assessed TST at post-treatment, equivalent to an approximately 30-min increase. Age significantly moderated the effects of CBT-I on diary-measured and polysomnography-measured TST; older ages were associated with smaller effect sizes. Contrarily, a negative, medium effect size was found for actigraphy-assessed TST, equivalent to an approximately 30-min decrease. Publication biases were found for diary data at follow-up assessments suggesting that positive findings were favored.

Conclusions

CBT-I resulted in improvements in TST measured by sleep diaries and polysomnography (in adults). These improvements were not corroborated by actigraphy findings. Theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

Network meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of a prescription digital therapeutic for chronic insomnia to medications and face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy in adults

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the only Food and Drug Administration-authorized prescription digital therapeutic (PDT) Somryst versus face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or FDA-approved prescription medications for insomnia.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify relevant studies. A Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to examine (1) mean change in insomnia severity index (ISI); (2) proportional change in ISI remitters; (3) mean change in wake after sleep onset (WASO); and (4) mean change in sleep onset latency (SOL).

RESULTS

Twenty studies provided data on the PDT, CBT-I, CBT-I in combination with self-help (SH), or two prescription medications (eszopiclone and zolpidem). The PDT was associated with significant mean change in ISI (-5.77, 95% Credible Interval [CrI] - 8.53, -3.07) and ISI remitters (OR 12.33; 95% CrI 2.28, 155.91) compared to placebo, and had the highest probability of being the most effective treatment overall for ISI mean change (56%), and ISI remitters (64%). All evaluated interventions significantly outperformed placebo for WASO but no significant differences were observed for SOL (five interventions). Sensitivity analyses excluding medications and meta-regression (assessing type, duration, delivery method for CBT-I) did not affect NMA results.

CONCLUSIONS

This network meta-analysis demonstrated that a PDT delivering CBT-I had the highest probability of being most effective compared to face-to-face CBT-I, prescription sleep medications, or placebo, as measured by reductions in mean ISI score from baseline and ISI-determined remittance.

Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in patients with borderline personality disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a highly disabling psychiatric disorder with emotion dysregulation at its core, resulting in affective instability, impulsivity and sometimes self-harming or suicidal behavior. Sleep is increasingly recognized to play a crucial role in emotion regulation. BPD patients often suffer from (severe) insomnia, potentially aggravating symptoms and preventing recovery from BPD. Yet, the effects of insomnia treatments have not been investigated in context of BPD. Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (iCBT-I; i-Sleep) has been proven effective in improving both insomnia and affective symptoms. In this randomized controlled trial among 96 patients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of BPD (or other personality disorder with ≥4 BPD traits) and insomnia symptoms, we will test the effectiveness of iCBT-I before regular BPD treatment starts, during the waitlist period, on BPD symptoms. Patients in the control group monitor their sleep through a sleep diary during the waitlist period and also receive standard BPD treatment after that. Using linear mixed models we will test the hypothesis that the iCBT-I group improves more than the control group on BPD symptoms (primary outcome), insomnia severity, additional subjective and objective sleep variables, emotion regulation, comorbid anxiety and depression complaints, and quality of life. These effects are thought to arise from a direct effect of improved sleep on emotion regulation and a synergistic effect on the consolidation and internalization of the BPD treatment effect. To our knowledge, this is the first trial assessing effectiveness of CBT-I in patients with BPD (traits). The accessibility of the studied intervention greatly facilitates clinical implication in case of positive results.

A Pilot Study Testing the Efficacy of dCBT in Patients With Cancer Experiencing Sleep Problems

Objective

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT) in patients with cancer experiencing sleep problems.

Methods

A total of 57 participants aged 25–65 years (6M/51F with a mean of 42.80 years and a standard deviation of 14.15 years) were randomly assigned to three groups—21 participants to a dCBT program (HARUToday Sleep), 20 participants to an app-based attentional control program (HARUCard Sleep), and 16 participants to a waitlist control group—and evaluated offline before and after the program completion. Of the 57 participants, there were a total of 45 study completers, 15 participants in each group. The dependent variables were sleep quality scores, measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and health-related quality of life scores, measured using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36), and attentional bias scores from a dot-probe computer task.

Results

For both the intention-to-treat (N = 57) and study-completers analyses (N = 45, 15 for each group), a significant increase supported by a large effect size was found in the quality of sleep score of the HARUToday Sleep group compared to both the app-based attentional control and the waitlist control group. However, no significant changes were found in the quality of life and attentional bias scores.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the HARUToday Sleep app has the potential to serve as an intervention module to enhance the sleep quality of patients with cancer experiencing sleep problems.

Treating Insomnia with High Risk of Depression Using Therapist-Guided Digital Cognitive, Behavioral, and Circadian Rhythm Support Interventions to Prevent Worsening of Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION

The global disease burden of major depressive disorder urgently requires prevention in high-risk individuals, such as recently discovered insomnia subtypes. Previous studies targeting insomnia with fully automated eHealth interventions to prevent depression are inconclusive: dropout was high and likely biased, and depressive symptoms in untreated participants on average improved rather than worsened.

OBJECTIVE

This randomized controlled trial aimed to efficiently prevent the worsening of depressive symptoms by selecting insomnia subtypes at high risk of depression for internet-based circadian rhythm support (CRS), cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or their combination (CBT-I+CRS), with online therapist guidance to promote adherence.

METHODS

Participants with an insomnia disorder subtype conveying an increased risk of depression (n = 132) were randomized to no treatment (NT), CRS, CBT-I, or CBT-I+CRS. The Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (IDS-SR) was self-administered at baseline and at four follow-ups spanning 1 year.

RESULTS

Without treatment, depressive symptoms indeed worsened (d = 0.28, p = 0.041) in high-risk insomnia, but not in a reference group with low-risk insomnia. Therapist-guided CBT-I and CBT-I+CRS reduced IDS-SR ratings across all follow-up assessments (respectively, d = -0.80, p = 0.001; d = -0.95, p < 0.001). Only CBT-I+CRS reduced the 1-year incidence of clinically meaningful worsening (p = 0.002). Dropout during therapist-guided interventions was very low (8%) compared to previous automated interventions (57-62%).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings tentatively suggest that the efficiency of population-wide preventive strategies could benefit from the possibility to select insomnia subtypes at high risk of developing depression for therapist-guided digital CBT-I+CRS. This treatment may provide effective long-term prevention of worsening of depressive symptoms.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

the Netherlands Trial Register (NL7359).

Effectiveness of Unguided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Three Good Things Exercise for Insomnia: 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The treatment of insomnia with sleep medication causes problems such as long-term use, dependence, and significant economic losses, including medical expenses. Evidence-based lifestyle guidance is required to improve insomnia symptoms not only in person but also in easy-to-use web-based formats.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to clarify whether unguided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) or the Three Good Things (TGT) exercise, both administered as self-help internet interventions without email support, could improve insomnia symptoms compared with a waiting list control (WLC) group.

METHODS

A 4-week program was implemented, and participants were randomly allocated to 1 of the 3 groups. The primary outcome measure was the Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire (PSQI) score at 4 weeks compared with baseline.

RESULTS

Of the 21,394 individuals invited to participate, 312 (1.46%) met the eligibility criteria and were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 groups. Of these 312 individuals, 270 (86.5%; ICBT 79/270, 29.3%; TGT 88/270, 32.6%; and WLC 103/270, 38.1%) completed a postintervention survey at 4 and 8 weeks. The adjusted mean changes of the primary outcome measure (PSQI) in the ICBT (-1.56, 95% CI -2.52 to -0.59; P<.001) and TGT (-1.15, 95% CI -2.08 to -0.23; P=.002) groups at 4 weeks from baseline showed a significant improvement compared with the WLC group. The adjusted mean changes in the secondary outcome measures of sleep onset latency, total sleep time, Athens Insomnia Scale score, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score at 4 weeks from baseline, as well as in the PSQI at 8 weeks from baseline, showed significant improvement for ICBT. Moreover, total sleep time, Athens Insomnia Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores at 4 weeks from baseline showed a significant improvement in the TGT group compared with the WLC group.

CONCLUSIONS

A total of 4 weeks of unguided ICBT and TGT exercises improved insomnia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry UMIN000034927; https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000039814.

Comparative efficacy of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

The comparative efficacy of various approaches of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is still unclear. This network meta-analysis explored the comparative efficacy of digital CBTi approaches in adults with insomnia. Four electronic databases were searched from inception to June 27, 2020. Primary outcomes were self-reported total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE), and insomnia symptoms; these were measured using sleep diaries or valid questionnaires. A random-effects network meta-analysis in a frequentist framework was used. Fifty-four randomized controlled trials comprising 11,815 participants were included. Compared with usual care, web-based CBTi with a therapist demonstrated significantly longer TST (mean difference [MD]: 23.19 min, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.98-27.39 min), shorter SOL (MD: -18.76 min, 95% CI -24.20 to -13.31 min), lower WASO (MD: -31.40 min, 95% CI: -36.26 to -26.55 min), and greater SE (MD: 10.37%, 95% CI: 8.08%-12.65%). The surface under the cumulative ranking curve indicates that web-based CBTi with therapists is most likely to be ranked the highest among all treatments, and thus, this network meta-analysis suggests that such a treatment is the optimal intervention for improving sleep duration and SE as well as the reductions in SOL and WASO. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020171134.

Cultural adaptation of internet- and mobile-based interventions for mental disorders: a systematic review

Providing accessible and effective healthcare solutions for people living in low- and middle-income countries, migrants, and indigenous people is central to reduce the global mental health treatment gap. Internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMI) are considered scalable psychological interventions to reduce the burden of mental disorders and are culturally adapted for implementation in these target groups. In October 2020, the databases PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies that culturally adapted IMI for mental disorders. Among 9438 screened records, we identified 55 eligible articles. We extracted 17 content, methodological, and procedural components of culturally adapting IMI, aiming to consider specific situations and perspectives of the target populations. Adherence and effectiveness of the adapted IMI seemed similar to the original IMI; yet, no included study conducted a direct comparison. The presented taxonomy of cultural adaptation of IMI for mental disorders provides a basis for future studies investigating the relevance and necessity of their cultural adaptation.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019142320.

Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this systematic review is to provide supporting evidence for a clinical practice guideline on the use of behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adult populations.

METHODS

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine commissioned a task force of 9 experts in sleep medicine and sleep psychology. A systematic review was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials that addressed behavioral and psychological interventions for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults. Statistical analyses were performed to determine if the treatments produced clinically significant improvements in a range of critical and important outcomes. Finally, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation process was used to evaluate the evidence for making specific treatment recommendations.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 1,244 studies; 124 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 89 studies provided data suitable for statistical analyses. Evidence for the following interventions is presented in this review: cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, brief therapies for insomnia, stimulus control, sleep restriction therapy, relaxation training, sleep hygiene, biofeedback, paradoxical intention, intensive sleep retraining, and mindfulness. This review provides a detailed summary of the evidence along with the quality of evidence, the balance of benefits vs harms, patient values and preferences, and resource use considerations.

A population health approach to insomnia using internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To determine if a population health approach to insomnia using internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (ICBT-I) affects dispensed medications and provider encounters compared to usual care.

METHODS

A pragmatic hybrid study design was used to evaluate both the implementation strategy and the long-term effects of ICBT-I on health care utilization in an integrated health system. Adult members with insomnia (a diagnosis or insomnia medication dispensation) or at high-risk of insomnia (a diagnosis of depression or anxiety) were randomized to receive information on either an ICBT-I program (intervention arm) or in-person classes on insomnia (usual care arm). Outcomes included dispensed insomnia medications and provider encounters over 12 months. The effectiveness of our implementation of ICBT-I on the target population was determined by an intention-to-treat analysis and by regression models comparing those who engaged in ICBT-I to matched usual care arm controls.

RESULTS

136,630 subjects were randomized. 638 (0.96%) accessed the ICBT-I program while 431 (0.66%) attended one or more usual care insomnia classes. Dispensed insomnia medications and provider encounters were no different in the ICBT-I arm vs the usual care arm (intention-to-treat) or among those who engaged in ICBT-I vs matched usual care arm controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Since ICBT-I program engagement was low, additional strategies to improve engagement should be explored. ICBT-I did not result in a reduction in several measures of health care utilization; nevertheless, it offers an alternative and accessible approach to managing population insomnia.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Trial of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Patients Prescribed Insomnia Medications; Identifier: NCT03313466; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/history/NCT03313466?V_1=View#StudyPageTop.

Does the guided online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia "i-Sleep youth" improve sleep of adolescents and young adults with insomnia after childhood cancer? (MICADO-study): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and young adults who had childhood cancer are at increased risk for insomnia, due to being critically ill during an important phase of their life for the development of good sleep habits. Insomnia is disabling and prevalent after childhood cancer (26-29%) and negatively impacts quality of life, fatigue, pain, and general functioning and is often associated with other (mental) health problems. Insomnia and a history of childhood cancer both increase the risk of adverse health outcomes, posing a double burden for adolescents who had childhood cancer. The first-line treatment for insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). However, access to this type of care is often limited. The guided online CBT-I treatment "i-Sleep" has been developed to facilitate access via online care. i-Sleep is shown effective in adult (breast cancer) patients, but it is unknown if iCBT-I is effective in pediatric oncology.

METHODS/DESIGN

We developed a youth version of i-Sleep. Our aim is to evaluate its effectiveness in a national randomized-controlled clinical trial comparing iCBT-I to a waiting-list control condition at 3 and 6 months (n = 70). The intervention group will be also assessed at 12 months to see whether the post-test effects are maintained. Adolescents and young adults aged 12-30 years with insomnia, diagnosed with (childhood) cancer, currently at least 6 months since their last cancer treatment will be eligible. Outcomes include sleep efficiency (actigraphic), insomnia severity (self-report), sleep and circadian activity rhythm parameters, fatigue, health-related quality of life, perceived cognitive functioning, chronic distress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and intervention acceptability.

DISCUSSION

Insomnia is prevalent in the pediatric oncology population posing a double health burden for adolescents and young adults who had childhood cancer. If guided iCBT-I is effective, guidelines for insomnia can be installed to treat insomnia and potentially improve quality of life and the health of adolescents and young adults who had childhood cancer.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NL7220 (NTR7419; Netherlands Trial register). Registered on 2 August 2018.

Telemedicine versus face-to-face delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: a randomized controlled noninferiority trial

STUDY OBJECTIVES

In a randomized controlled noninferiority trial, we compared face-to-face and telemedicine delivery (via the AASM SleepTM platform) of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia for improving insomnia/sleep and daytime functioning at posttreatment and 3-month follow-up. A secondary objective compared the modalities on treatment credibility, satisfaction, and therapeutic alliance.

METHODS

A total of 65 adults with chronic insomnia (46 women, 47.2 ± 16.3 years of age) were randomized to 6 sessions of CBT for insomnia delivered individually via AASM SleepTM (n = 33, CBT-TM) or face-to-face (n = 32, CBT-F2F). Participants completed sleep diaries, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and daytime functioning measures at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Treatment credibility, satisfaction, and therapeutic alliance were compared between treatment modalities. The ISI was the primary noninferiority outcome.

RESULTS

Based on a noninferiority margin of four points on the ISI and, after adjusting for confounders, CBT-TM was noninferior to CBT-F2F at posttreatment (β = 0.54, SE = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.64 to 2.72) and follow-up (β = 0.34, SE = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.83 to 2.53). Daytime functioning measures, except the physical composite scale of the SF-12, were significantly improved at posttreatment and follow-up, with no difference between treatment formats. CBT-TM sessions were, on average, nearly 10 min shorter, yet participant ratings of therapeutic alliance were similar to CBT-F2F.

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine delivery of CBT for insomnia is not inferior to face-to-face for insomnia severity and yields similar improvements on other sleep and daytime functioning outcomes. Further, telemedicine allows for more efficient treatment delivery while not compromising therapeutic alliance.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03293745.

A Review of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I Apps): Are They Designed for Engagement?

There are different ways to deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), of which in-person (face to face) is the traditional delivery method. However, the scalability of in-person therapy is low. Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (dCBT-I) is an alternative and there are tools on the market that are validated in clinical studies. In this paper, we provide a review of the existing evidence-based CBT-I apps and a summary of the published usability-oriented studies of these apps. The goal is to explore the range of interaction methods commonly applied in dCBT-I platforms, the potential impact for the users, and the design elements applied to achieve engagement. Six commercially available CBT-I apps tested by scientifically valid methods were accessed and reviewed. Commonalities were identified and categorized into interactive elements, CBT-I-related components, managerial features, and supportive motivational features. The dCBT-I apps were effectively assisting the users, and the type of interactions promoted engagement. The apps' features were based on design principles from interactive product design, experience design, online social media, and serious gaming. This study contributes to the field by providing a critical summary of the existing dCBT-I apps that could guide future developers in the field to achieve a high engagement.

Nurse-Guided Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in General Practice: Results from a Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial

INTRODUCTION

Guidelines recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first line of treatment for insomnia in general practice, but CBT-I is rarely available. Nurse-guided Internet-delivered CBT-I might be a solution to improve access to care.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine the effectiveness of nurse-guided Internet-delivered CBT-I (I-CBT-I) on insomnia severity experienced by patients in general practice.

METHODS

Nurse-guided I-CBT-I ("i-Sleep") was compared to care-as-usual (and I-CBT-I after 6 months) in 15 participating general practices among 134 patients (≥18 years old) with clinical insomnia symptoms. Assessments took place at 8, 26 and 52 weeks. Primary outcome was self-reported insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index) at 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes were sleep diary indices, depression and anxiety symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), fatigue, daytime consequences of insomnia, sleep medication and adverse events.

RESULTS

Two thirds of the 69 intervention patients (n = 47; 68%) completed the whole intervention. At the posttest examination, there were large significant effects for insomnia severity (Cohen's d =1.66), several sleep diary variables (wake after sleep onset, number of awakenings, terminal wakefulness, sleep efficiency, sleep quality) and depression. At 26 weeks there were still significant effects on insomnia severity (d = 1.02) and on total sleep time and sleep efficiency. No significant effects were observed for anxiety, fatigue, daily functioning or sleep medication. No adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse-guided I-CBT-I effectively reduces insomnia severity among general practice patients. I-CBT-I enables general practitioners to offer effective insomnia care in accordance with the clinical guidelines.

Hyperarousal and Insomnia in Survivors of Cancer

BACKGROUND

Cancer survivors are prone to insomnia due to the physical and psychological sequelae of cancer and treatment. Individuals with insomnia may present symptoms of hyperarousal. Cancer survivors with insomnia and trait hyperarousal may require different clinical treatments than patients with insomnia without trait hyperarousal. To our knowledge, no study has examined these factors previously. This study examined the relation between insomnia and trait hyperarousal in cancer survivors.

METHODS

The sample included 160 individuals with previous cancer diagnoses who met DSM-5 criteria for insomnia disorder. Measures were collected with cross-sectional batteries of questionnaires, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Hyperarousal Scale (HAS). This study is based on baseline data collected in a randomized clinical trial comparing CBT-I to acupuncture for cancer survivors with insomnia (Garland, Gehrman, Barg, Xie, & Mao, 2016).

RESULTS

Hyperarousal was positively associated with insomnia (ISI total score) in bivariate correlations (r = .350, p < .01) and linear regressions (F = 22.06, p < .001). In bivariate correlations, hyperarousal was related to perceptions about the consequences of disturbed sleep rather than reported sleep patterns. For example, hyperarousal was positively related to reported satisfaction (r = .159, p < .05) and worry about sleep (r = .415, p < .01), but not to falling asleep, staying asleep, or awakening too early. In regressions, younger age, insomnia duration, and worry about sleep were uniquely associated with hyperarousal when adjusting for insomnia (B = 0.200, B = 0.177, B = -0.182, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperarousal is associated with psychological appraisal of insomnia rather than reported sleep pattern. Younger age and longer duration of insomnia are associated with trait hyperarousal. These findings suggest targeting trait hyperarousal with amplified psychological treatment may lead to more personalized, effective treatment for insomnia.

The effect of nurse-led Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on patients with cardiovascular disease: A randomized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up

Aim

To test the effect of nurse‐led Internet‐based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (I‐CBTI), tailored for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with a 6‐month follow‐up.

Design

A two‐arm parallel‐group randomized controlled trial (RCT) registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NTC03938805) and reported according to the CONSORT checklist.

Methods

Forty‐eight patients (mean age 72 years, 65% men) diagnosed with CVD and insomnia were randomized to either 9‐week nurse‐led I‐CBTI with support, or an Internet‐based self‐study programme without support (control group). Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Short Form Health Survey (SF‐12) were used as primary and secondary outcomes.

Results

ISI showed a significant treatment effect of I‐CBTI compared to the control group at 9‐week follow‐up. The mean ISI score in the I‐CBTI group at 9 weeks post‐treatment was maintained at the 6‐month follow‐up. Patients' adherence to I‐CBTI was associated with a better effect on both the ISI and SF‐12.

The effect of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on sedative-hypnotic use: A narrative review

Although cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is the recommended 'first-line' treatment for insomnia, most patients are initially treated with sedative-hypnotic medications. Given the risk of impaired cognitive and psychomotor performance, serious adverse events, and long-term dependence associated with sedative-hypnotics, guidelines recommend that prescriptions should be limited to short-term use and that patients are provided with support for withdrawal where possible. CBTi is an effective insomnia treatment in the presence of sedative-hypnotic use. Furthermore, guidelines recommended that CBTi techniques are utilised to facilitate withdrawal from sedative-hypnotics. However, there is very little research evaluating the effect of CBTi on reduced medication use. The current narrative review integrates 95 studies including over 10,000 participants, investigating the effect of CBTi on reduced sedative-hypnotic use in different populations (e.g., hypnotic-dependent patients, older adults, military personnel), settings (e.g., primary care settings, psychiatric inpatients), CBTi modalities (e.g., self-administered reading/audio materials, digital, and therapist-administered), and in combination with gradual dose reduction programs. Based on this research, we discuss the theoretical mechanistic effects of CBTi in facilitating reduced sedative-hypnotic use, provide clear recommendations for future research, and offer pragmatic clinical suggestions to increase access to CBTi to reduce dependence on sedative-hypnotics as the 'default' treatment for insomnia.

Sleep-HD trial: short and long-term effectiveness of existing insomnia therapies for patients undergoing hemodialysis

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treated with hemodialysis (HD) experience many distressing symptoms. One frequently reported symptom is insomnia. There are unique issues about HD treatments and schedules that disrupt regular sleep/wake routines and possibly contribute to the high severity of insomnia. Despite evidence for broad-ranging health effects of insomnia, very few clinical trials have tested the efficacy of treatments for HD patients. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a recommended first-line therapy but largely inaccessible to HD patients in the United States, partly because they commit considerable amounts of time to thrice-weekly dialysis treatments. Another important reason could be the logistical and reimbursement challenges associated with providing behavioral health care at the dialysis center. CBT-I delivered by telehealth can overcome barriers to access, but its efficacy has never been rigorously tested for these patients. Pharmacotherapy is the most widely used treatment for insomnia; however, some drugs presently used are unsafe as they are associated with a higher risk for death for HD patients (benzodiazepines and zolpidem-like drugs). The efficacy and safety of other medications (trazodone) for the treatment of insomnia has never been tested for patients treated with HD.

METHODS

This trial tests the short- and long-term comparative effectiveness of 6-week treatment with telehealth CBT-I, trazodone, or medication placebo. This will be accomplished with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which 126 participants treated with HD in community-based dialysis facilities with chronic insomnia will be assigned 1:1:1 to telehealth CBT-I, trazodone, or medication placebo, respectively; short-term effectiveness of each treatment arm will be determined at the end of 6-weeks of treatment and long-term effectiveness at 25-weeks. The primary and secondary patient-reported outcomes will be assessed with computer-based telephone interviewing by research scientists blinded to treatment assignment; additional secondary outcomes will be assessed by participant interview and actigraphy.

DISCUSSION

This clinical RCT will provide the first evidence for the comparative effectiveness of two distinct approaches for treating chronic insomnia and other patient-reported outcomes for patients receiving maintenance HD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03534284 May 23, 2018. SLEEP-HD Protocol Version: 1.3.4 (7/22/2020).

Changes in resting-state brain connectivity following computerized cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in dialysis patients: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

Insomnia is prevalent among dialysis patients and affects their mortality. Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is recommended, attending regular face-to-face CBTi sessions is a major challenge for patients. We evaluated the effectiveness of a self-directed computerized CBTi (cCBTi) in dialysis patients, and investigated changes in resting-state brain connectivity and inflammatory cytokines following cCBTi.

METHOD

Thirty-five patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis who had insomnia were screened for participation in the study, with 17 participants included in the final analyses. A self-directed cCBTi protocol accessed via tablet computer during dialysis or at home was developed and applied. Information about sleep, anxiety, depression, laboratory data, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data was obtained 3-5 days before and after cCBTi.

RESULTS

cCBTi improved sleep quality, and this was correlated with increased resting-state brain connectivity between the default-mode network and the premotor/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The decrement of interleukin-1β levels were correlated with improved sleep quality and increased brain connectivity after cCBTi.

CONCLUSION

Our pilot study findings suggest that cCBTi is effective for dialysis patients with insomnia, and the therapeutic effects of cCBTi are related to changes in brain functional connectivity and inflammatory cytokines.

Efficacy of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

OBJECTIVES

Although cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been recommended the initial therapy for insomnia, its clinical usage remains limited due to the lack of therapists. Digital CBT-I (dCBT-I) can potentially circumvent this problem. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the short-term and long-term efficacy of dCBT-I for adults with insomnia.

METHODS

Systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL from inception till 5 March 2020 was conducted. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing dCBT-I with controls (wait-list/treatment-as-usual/online education) in adults with insomnia were eligible. The primary outcome was insomnia severity index (ISI) at post-intervention, short-term follow-up (ranging 4 weeks to 6 months) and 1-year follow-up. Mean differences were pooled using the random-effects model.

RESULTS

94 articles were assessed full-text independently by two team members and 33 studies were included in this meta-analysis. 4719 and 4645 participants were randomised to dCBT-I and control respectively. dCBT-I significantly reduces ISI at post-intervention with mean difference -5.00 (95% CI -5.68 to -4.33, p < 0.0001) (I² = 79%) compared to control. The improvements were sustained at short-term follow-up, -3.99 (95% CI -4.82 to -3.16, p < 0.0001) and 1-year follow-up, -3.48 (95% CI -4.21 to -2.76, p < 0.0001). Compared to dCBT-I, face-to-face CBT-I produced greater improvement in ISI, 3.07 (95% CI 1.18 to 4.95, p = 0.001). However, this was within the non-inferiority interval of 4 points on ISI.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis provides strong support for the effectiveness of dCBT-I in treating insomnia. dCBT-I has potential to revolutionise the delivery of CBT-I, improving the accessibility and availability of CBT-I content for insomnia patients worldwide.

Internet-guided cognitive, behavioral and chronobiological interventions in depression-prone insomnia subtypes: protocol of a randomized controlled prevention trial

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder is among the most burdening and costly chronic health hazards. Since its prognosis is poor and treatment effectiveness is moderate at best, prevention would be the strategy of first choice. Insomnia may be the best modifiable risk factor. Insomnia is highly prevalent (4-10%) and meta-analysis estimates ±13% of people with insomnia to develop depression within a year. Among people with insomnia, recent work identified three subtypes with a particularly high lifetime risk of depression. The current randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluates the effects of internet-guided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Chronobiological Therapy (CT), and their combination on insomnia and the development of depressive symptoms.

METHODS

We aim to include 120 participants with Insomnia Disorder (ID) of one of the three subtypes that are more prone to develop depression. In a two by two factorial repeated measures design, participants will be randomized to CBT-I, CT, CBT-I + CT or treatment as usual, and followed up for one year. The primary outcome is the change, relative to baseline, of the severity of depressive symptoms integrated over four follow-ups spanning one year. Secondary outcome measures include a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, insomnia severity, sleep diaries, actigraphy, cost-effectiveness, and brain structure and function.

DISCUSSION

Pre-selection of three high-risk insomnia subtypes allows for a sensitive assessment of the possibility to prevent the development and worsening of depressive symptoms through interventions targeting insomnia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register (NL7359). Registered on 19 October 2018.

The effect of self-help cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on depressive symptoms: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbances commonly occur in patients with depression. Insomnia is considered not only a symptom of but also a risk factor for depression. Psychological treatments for insomnia have been demonstrated to be efficacious in alleviating depressive symptoms. This meta-analysis examined the effect of self-help cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in treating depressive symptoms.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed up to April 2019 in 6 major electronic databases. The literature search retrieved 4190 potentially relevant citations; 30 randomized controlled trials (total N = 5945) that compared self-help CBT-I vs. waiting-list (WL), routine care, no treatment, individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), group CBT and placebo were included in the current review.

RESULTS

Random effects models showed significant reduction in self-report depressive symptoms (Hedges' g = 0.35; 95% CI: -0.47, -0.23) and insomnia symptoms (Hedges' g = 0.79; 95% CI: -0.56, -1.03) in the self-help CBT-I group when compared to the WL/routine care/no treatment/psychoeducation control group.

LIMITATIONS

The findings should be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

CBT-I appears to be efficacious in treating depressive symptoms. Given the current results and study limitations, large-scale, high-quality trials that specifically target individuals with a clinical diagnosis of depression are warranted in the future.

Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Women With Chronic Migraines

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

Insomnia commonly co-occurs with chronic migraines (CM). Non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia in CM patients remain understudied. This is a proof-of-concept study, which aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I) for individuals with CM and insomnia (CM-I) in the United States.

METHODS

We recruited 42 females with CM-I symptoms from a U.S.-based observational cohort and from the general population via advertisements. Within a multiple baseline design, participants were randomized to receive dCBT-I after 2, 4, or 6 weeks of completing baseline sleep diaries. DCBT-I was scrutinized against benchmarks for completion rates (≥90% to complete dCBT-I), acceptability (≥80% to find dCBT-I acceptable), and posttreatment changes in insomnia symptoms (≥50% indicating a clinically relevant improvement in their insomnia symptoms). As a secondary measure, we also reported percentage of individuals reverting to episodic migraines.

RESULTS

Out of 42 randomized, 35 (83.3%) completed dCBT-I within the 12 weeks provided. Of these completers, 33 (94.3%) reported being satisfied (n = 16) or very satisfied (n = 17) with treatment. Additionally, 65.7% of completers responded to treatment as per universally accepted criteria for insomnia. Lastly, 34% of completers reverted from CM to episodic migraine.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of dCBT-I in patients with CM-I complaints. Effects of improving insomnia and migraines were suggested. These results indicate that a randomized controlled trial is needed to determine the efficacy of dCBT-I in CM patients.

[Application and research progress of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia disorder]

Insomnia disorder is one of the most common sleep disorders with an increasing incidence to cause substantial economic losses and social burden. The therapy for insomnia disorder mainly includes medication treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy. Medications are associated with various adverse effects and can be easily addictive. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proposed as the first-line treatment for insomnia disorder. But due to the disadvantages of face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy including a high cost and the lack of standardization, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy has emerged as an alternative with an almost equivalent efficacy to face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy and better effects than medication. This review summarizes the basic principles of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and discusses the development, forms, effects as well as the advantages and disadvantages of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy.

French Language Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Despite cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) being the recommended treatment for insomnia disorder, its access remains very limited. Automated Internet-delivered CBT-I (eCBT-I) is an emerging cost-effective strategy for adults with insomnia, however no such program is currently available in French Language. We evaluated a French-speaking, eCBT-I intervention to improve insomnia disorder in comparison to minimal psychoeducation therapy (mPT). Methods: Forty-six adults with insomnia disorder were randomly allocated to eCBT-I or mPT. The eCBT-I program consisted of seven sessions that delivered the typical components of CBT-I during 12 weeks. The mPT provided structured and non-tailored information about sleep and insomnia during a 1 h session. Insomnia severity Index (ISI, primary outcome), measures of fatigue, sleepiness, anxiety, depressive symptoms and quality of life were collected at baseline and endpoint. Electronic sleep diaries were completed over 2 week periods pre- and post-intervention. Results: Compared to mPT, eCBT-I resulted in greater decrease in ISI scores between baseline and endpoint. Sleep diaries parameters improved in both groups, with a greater improvement in the eCBT-I group. Patients allocated to eCBT-I group also improved depressive, fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and quality of life. Among patients with CNS-active drug at baseline, 91.7% reduced or stopped their hypnotic medication, and 16.7% in the mPT group. Conclusions: The present eCBT-I program seems feasible, acceptable and effective in reducing insomnia severity and insomnia-related functional outcomes in this small clinically-derived population. Given the high prevalence of insomnia, our data are supportive of the use of such program as an effective alternative to treat insomnia in daily clinical practice in French speaking countries.

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: Tailoring Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia for Patients with Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia is preferably treated with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), but many insomnia sufferers receive medication instead, likely because of high costs, lack of knowledge about optimal insomnia treatment among physicians, and lack of CBTI-trained professionals in mental health care. A possible solution is to offer CBTI through the Internet: I-CBTI. I-CBTI is generally acceptable to patients and greatly improves insomnia symptoms. We review the state of knowledge around I-CBTI and its effects. CBTI's effectiveness is influenced by treatment characteristics and patient-specific factors. We review potential factors that help identify which patients may benefit from I-CBTI.

Digital Delivery of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT) has been available for over a decade. We reviewed the evidence that accumulated over the past 5 years and discuss the implications for introducing dCBT into standard healthcare.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies have consistently supported the use of dCBT to treat insomnia. Evidence is now demonstrating large short-term effects and smaller long-term effects up to 1.5 years after treatment across populations with various co-occurring health problems. The effects also extend into a range of psychological well-being factors. Mediators and moderators have been studied to understand mechanisms and create new opportunities to enhance effectiveness and reduce dropout. Incorporating personalized guidance in dCBT may further enhance effectiveness. The evidence for dCBT for insomnia is strong and suggests that dCBT is ready for application in standard healthcare. Further research, digital innovation, and development of effective implementation methods are required to ensure dCBT fulfills its potential.

Effectiveness of Internet-Delivered Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients With Insomnia Who Remain Symptomatic Following Pharmacotherapy: Randomized Controlled Exploratory Trial

Background

In reality, pharmacotherapy still remains the most common treatment for insomnia.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of our internet-delivered computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program as an adjunct to usual care (UC) compared with UC alone in patients with insomnia who remain symptomatic following hypnotics.

Methods

We recruited 23 patients with insomnia who remained symptomatic following pharmacologic treatment including benzodiazepines, and we conducted an exploratory randomized controlled trial. The primary outcome was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at week 6 of the treatment. Secondary outcomes were sleep onset latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, refreshment and soundness of sleep, anxiety by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, depression measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and quality of life (QOL) measured by the EuroQol-5D. All parameters were measured at weeks 0 (baseline), 6 (postintervention), and 12 (follow-up).

Results

The adjusted mean reduction (−6.11) in PSQI at week 6 from baseline in the ICBT plus UC group was significantly (P<.001) larger than the adjusted mean reduction (0.40) in the UC alone group. Significant differences were also found in favor of ICBT plus UC for PSQI, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, and depression at all assessment points. Refreshment, soundness of sleep, anxiety, and QOL improved by week 6 in ICBT plus UC compared with UC alone. There were no reports of adverse events in either group during the study.

Conclusions

These results indicated that our 6-week ICBT program is an effective treatment adjunct to UC for improving insomnia and related symptoms even after unsuccessful pharmacotherapy.

Trial Registration

University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry: UMIN000021509; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000023545 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation. org/75tCmwnYt).

Online Delivery of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Insomnia: Considerations and Controversies

This article reviews the current state of research and clinical use of online delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Strengths and limitations of this treatment modality are discussed, as well as exploration of some of the controversies in the field that are still under exploration. In addition, the article explores future areas of research to test out the role of this treatment as an entry level into a stepped care model of insomnia.

The Short-Term Efficacy of an Unguided Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial With a Six-Month Nonrandomized Follow-Up

OBJECTIVE

Insomnia is a major health problem, and the need for effective and accessible treatment is urgent. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy of an unguided Internet-based cognitive-behavioral treatment program for insomnia (CBTi), called SHUTi (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet).

METHODS

This study used a parallel arm randomized controlled trial in Norway. Participants were randomly allocated to the SHUTi condition or a Web-based patient education condition. Both groups were assessed before and after the nine-week intervention period (online sleep diaries and questionnaires). The SHUTi participants were reassessed in a six-month nonrandomized follow-up. Primary outcome measures were the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS).

RESULTS

A total of 181 participants were included in the study; SHUTi condition (n = 95), patient education condition (n = 86). Intention-to-treat mixed-model repeated-measures analysis revealed that the SHUTi group had better short-term outcomes compared with the patient education group on most sleep measures. The SHUTi group showed a significant decrease on the primary outcomes, the ISI (d_between = -1.77, 95% CI = -2.23, -1.31) and the BIS (d_between = -1.00, 95% CI = -1.32, -.68). Improvements were maintained among the completing SHUTi participants at the six-month nonrandomized follow-up. However, dropout attrition was high.

CONCLUSION

Unguided Internet-based CBTi produced significant short-term improvements in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia. This highlights the benefits of making Internet-delivered CBTi programs available as a standard first-line treatment option in public health services. Nevertheless, the rate of dropout attrition (participants not completing post-assessment) in this trial limits the generalizability of the findings.