Internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (ICBT-i): a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Investigating the efficacy of digital cognitive behavioural therapy in comparison to a sleep-monitoring application via integrated diary and actigraphy: A randomised-controlled trial

Dissemination of digital cognitive behavioural therapy is a promising approach for treating insomnia in the broad population. Current evidence supports the effectiveness of the digital format, but clinical findings are often limited by the choice of control group and lack of in-depth therapeutic measures. This study was designed to investigate the specific effects of digital cognitive behavioural therapy in comparison to a self-monitoring application. Participants meeting criteria for insomnia were randomly allocated (1:1) to 8 weeks of digital cognitive behavioural therapy or 8 weeks of digital sleep monitoring (control application). The primary outcome, insomnia severity, was assessed at baseline, 8- and 16-weeks post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes included the assessment of sleep via application-integrated sleep diaries and actigraphy. Linear-mixed models were fitted to assess between-group differences. Fifty-six participants (48 females, mean age: M = 45.55 ± 13.70 years) were randomised to either digital cognitive behavioural therapy (n = 29) or digital sleep monitoring (n = 27). At 8- and 16-weeks post-randomisation, large treatment effects (d = 0.87-1.08) indicated robust reductions (-3.70 and -2.97, respectively; p ≤ 0.003) in insomnia severity in the digital cognitive behavioural therapy arm, relative to digital sleep monitoring. Treatment effects in favour of digital cognitive behavioural therapy were also found for self-reported and actigraphy-derived sleep continuity variables, indicating that sleep improved throughout the 8-week intervention period. Our study reinforces the role of digital cognitive behavioural therapy in achieving clinical improvements for patients with insomnia, affirming previous findings and supporting the specific effects of cognitive behavioural therapy.

Clinical effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in routine secondary care: results of a randomized controlled trial

Introduction

Delivering cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia over the internet bears the advantage of accessibility and uptake to many patients suffering from chronic insomnia. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (iCBT-I) in routine care.

Materials and methods

We conducted a two-arm non-blinded randomized controlled trial with care as usual (CAU) as a control condition. Participants were recruited in a specialized outpatient sleep medicine department. Both arms had access to other healthcare resources, and the intervention group had access to the iCBT-I program for 2 months. The primary outcome was insomnia severity, measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Secondary outcomes were fatigue severity, daytime sleepiness, affective symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, sleep locus of control, sleep hygiene, sleep efficiency (SE), sleep onset latency, wake time after sleep onset (WASO), and total sleep time (TST). Linear mixed models for repeated measures were used to analyze the longitudinal data at baseline, post-treatment, and after 3 months of follow-up. The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04300218 21.04.2020).

Results

The results showed a significant time*group interaction effect (p = 0.001) at post-treatment with between-group effect size (d = 0.51), indicating that the ISI decreased by a score of 3.8-fold in the iCBT-I group than in the CAU group. There was no significant difference in ISI between groups at follow-up. Regarding secondary outcomes, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, SE, and WASO decreased significantly during treatment in the intervention group with between-group effect sizes d = 0.35, d = -0.51, and d = 0.47, respectively. At the follow-up, between-group effects on DBAS and SE remained significant: d = 0.36 and d = -0.63, respectively. For TST, we observed a significant time*group effect of d = -0.38 only after follow-up.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that iCBT-I has a significant effect on insomnia severity at post-treatment compared to CAU. iCBT-I further improved dysfunctional beliefs about sleep and improved subjective sleep characteristics, such as SE, WASO, and TST during 3 months after treatment.

Clinical trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier (NCT04300218).

Who benefits from indirect prevention and treatment of depression using an online intervention for insomnia? Results from an individual-participant data meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent and burdensome for individuals and society. While there are psychological interventions able to prevent and treat MDD, uptake remains low. To overcome structural and attitudinal barriers, an indirect approach of using online insomnia interventions seems promising because insomnia is less stigmatized, predicts MDD onset, is often comorbid and can outlast MDD treatment. This individual-participant-data meta-analysis evaluated the potential of the online insomnia intervention GET.ON Recovery as an indirect treatment to reduce depressive symptom severity (DSS) and potential MDD onset across a range of participant characteristics.

METHODS

Efficacy on depressive symptom outcomes was evaluated using multilevel regression models controlling for baseline severity. To identify potential effect moderators, clinical, sociodemographic, and work-related variables were investigated using univariable moderation and random-forest methodology before developing a multivariable decision tree.

RESULTS

IPD were obtained from four of seven eligible studies (N = 561); concentrating on workers with high work-stress. DSS was significantly lower in the intervention group both at post-assessment (d = -0.71 [95% CI-0.92 to -0.51]) and at follow-up (d = -0.84 [95% CI -1.11 to -0.57]). In the subsample (n = 121) without potential MDD at baseline, there were no significant group differences in onset of potential MDD. Moderation analyses revealed that effects on DSS differed significantly across baseline severity groups with effect sizes between d = -0.48 and -0.87 (post) and d = - 0.66 to -0.99 (follow-up), while no other sociodemographic, clinical, or work-related characteristics were significant moderators.

CONCLUSIONS

An online insomnia intervention is a promising approach to effectively reduce DSS in a preventive and treatment setting.

The clinical effect of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in subgroups with depressive and anxiety symptoms: A secondary analysis of a randomized-controlled trial

Insomnia is a highly prevalent mental disorder, and is often co-occurring with depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia as treatment of choice for insomnia can also be applied digitally (digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia), making it more accessible. This is a secondary data analysis of a two-armed parallel randomized-controlled trial. In the primary publication, N = 238 participants meeting criteria for the 5th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders chronic insomnia disorder were randomly assigned to either 8 weeks of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia + treatment-as-usual, or waitlist + treatment-as-usual. To determine the clinical effects of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in populations with comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms, this secondary analysis focused on two subgroups: (1) participants with high initial depressive symptoms; and (2) participants with high initial anxiety symptoms. Symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety as primary outcome measures were obtained at baseline, 8 weeks post-randomization and, in the intervention group only, at 6- and 12-months follow-up. At 8 weeks post-randomization, the use of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in both subgroups was associated with large reductions in insomnia severity in comparison to control (depression subgroup: d = 2.37; anxiety subgroup: d = 2.13). Between-group treatment effects were also observed for symptoms of depression in the depression subgroup (d = 1.59), and for symptoms of anxiety in the anxiety subgroup (d = 1.28). Within-group effects were stable over time (d = 0.64-1.63). This secondary analysis shows that digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia reduces insomnia and comorbid symptoms in participants with high initial symptoms of either depression or anxiety with sustained long-term effects.

A comprehensive study on the efficacy of a wearable sleep aid device featuring closed-loop real-time acoustic stimulation

Difficulty falling asleep is one of the typical insomnia symptoms. However, intervention therapies available nowadays, ranging from pharmaceutical to hi-tech tailored solutions, remain ineffective due to their lack of precise real-time sleep tracking, in-time feedback on the therapies, and an ability to keep people asleep during the night. This paper aims to enhance the efficacy of such an intervention by proposing a novel sleep aid system that can sense multiple physiological signals continuously and simultaneously control auditory stimulation to evoke appropriate brain responses for fast sleep promotion. The system, a lightweight, comfortable, and user-friendly headband, employs a comprehensive set of algorithms and dedicated own-designed audio stimuli. Compared to the gold-standard device in 883 sleep studies on 377 subjects, the proposed system achieves (1) a strong correlation (0.89 ± 0.03) between the physiological signals acquired by ours and those from the gold-standard PSG, (2) an 87.8% agreement on automatic sleep scoring with the consensus scored by sleep technicians, and (3) a successful non-pharmacological real-time stimulation to shorten the duration of sleep falling by 24.1 min. Conclusively, our solution exceeds existing ones in promoting fast falling asleep, tracking sleep state accurately, and achieving high social acceptance through a reliable large-scale evaluation.

2023 Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Insomnia in Adults - Brazilian Sleep Association

Chronic insomnia disorder (simplified in this document as insomnia) is an increasingly common clinical condition in society and a frequent complaint at the offices of different areas of health practice (particularly Medicine and Psychology). This scenario has been accompanied by a significant evolution in treatment, as well as challenges in approaching patients in an appropriately way. This clinical guideline, coordinated by the Brazilian Sleep Association and the Brazilian Association of Sleep Medicine and counting on the active participation of various specialists in the area, encompasses an update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia in adults. To this end, it followed a structured methodology. Topics of interest related to diagnosis were written based on theoretical framework, evidence in the literature, and professional experience. As for the topics related to the treatment of insomnia, a series of questions were developed based on the PICO acronym (P - Patient, problem, or population; I - Intervention; C - Comparison, control, or comparator; O - Outcome). The work groups defined the eligible options within each of these parameters. Regarding pharmacological interventions, only the ones currently available in Brazil or possibly becoming available in the upcoming years were considered eligible. Systematic reviews were conducted to help prepare the texts and define the level of evidence for each intervention. The final result is an objective and practical document providing recommendations with the best scientific support available to professionals involved in the management of insomnia.

Trajectories of depression and generalised anxiety symptoms over the course of cognitive behaviour therapy in primary care: an observational, retrospective cohort

BACKGROUND

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. However, most research has focused on the sum scores of symptoms. Relatively little is known about how individual symptoms respond.

METHODS

Longitudinal models were used to explore how depression and generalised anxiety symptoms behave over the course of CBT in a retrospective, observational cohort of patients from primary care settings (n = 5306). Logistic mixed models were used to examine the probability of being symptom-free across CBT appointments, using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale as measures.

RESULTS

All symptoms improve across CBT treatment. The results suggest that low mood/hopelessness and guilt/worthlessness improved quickest relative to other depressive symptoms, with sleeping problems, appetite changes, and psychomotor retardation/agitation improving relatively slower. Uncontrollable worry and too much worry were the anxiety symptoms that improved fastest; irritability and restlessness improved the slowest.

CONCLUSIONS

This research suggests there is a benefit to examining symptoms rather than sum scores alone. Investigations of symptoms provide the potential for precision psychiatry and may explain some of the heterogeneity observed in clinical outcomes when only sum scores are considered.

Effectiveness of internet-based CBT-I for the treatment of chronic subthreshold to moderate insomnia

Study objectives

To study the effectiveness of the first internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) in Thailand, using the Nitra application, for chronic subthreshold to moderate insomnia treatment.

Methods

An interventional study without a control group was conducted between January and June 2022. Participants were adults aged 18 years old and older with subthreshold to moderate severity of chronic insomnia (insomnia severity index (ISI) of 8-21) and had mean sleep efficiency <85% from baseline sleep diaries. Baseline sleep characteristics were obtained from questionnaires and sleep diaries from the Nitra application for 2 weeks. Eligible participants continued using the Nitra application for 4 weeks during the intervention period. Interventions including sleep restriction, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, relaxation techniques, and sleep hygiene education were implemented via the pre-programmed Nitra application. Post-intervention sleep characteristics were also obtained from questionnaires and sleep diaries from the Nitra application for another 1 week.

Results

A total of 40 participants completed the study. All participants had a baseline sleep efficiency of less than 85% with the majority of the participants having a sleep-onset insomnia problem (98%). For the primary outcome, sleep efficiency was significantly improved after using the Nitra application (p < 0.001). Self-reported total sleep time, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, early morning awakening, ISI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and average subjective sleep quality were also significantly improved (p < 0.001 for all parameters except p = 0.017 for total sleep time and p = 0.018 for wake after sleep onset). Participants who had a low baseline ISI and went to bed and woke up within 30 minutes of a designated bedtime and wake-up time recommended by the Nitra application for ≥70% of all nights demonstrated an increased chance of achieving normal sleep efficiency after using the Nitra application.

Conclusion

This first internet-based CBT-i in Thailand, using the Nitra application, effectively improved sleep efficiency and other sleep parameters in chronic subthreshold to moderate insomnia.

Can adding personalized rule-based feedback improve the therapeutic effect of self-help digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in young adults?

INTRODUCTION

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as the first-line treatment for insomnia, but low accessibility and relatively high cost limits the dissemination of the treatment. Several forms of digital CBT-I have been developed to increase the accessibility and shown to be effective; however, the treatment effect may be restricted by the lack of interaction within the treatment. The current study examines whether the therapeutic effects of self-help digital CBT-I could be enhanced by adding simple rule-based personalized feedback.

METHOD

Ninety-two young adults with self-reported insomnia were randomly assigned to three groups: a self-help group (SH, n = 31), who received an eight-session email-delivered CBT-I program; a feedback group (FB, n = 31), who went through the same CBT-I program with personalized feedback; and a waitlist group (WL, n = 30). The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was used as the primary outcome measure, and the 16-item version of the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS-16), Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (SHPS), and sleep diary were used as the secondary outcome measures. Treatment satisfaction and adherence were also compared between the treatment groups.

RESULTS

Both the SH and FB groups showed significantly more improvements in insomnia severity, sleep-related beliefs, and sleep hygiene behaviors than the WL group. Sleep onset latency and sleep efficiency in the sleep diary were also significantly improved after treatment. None of these effects significantly differed between the two treatment groups. Nonetheless, participants in the FB group reported higher treatment satisfaction than those in the SH group.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the effectiveness of email-delivered self-help CBT-I for young adults with insomnia. Furthermore, while adding simple personalized feedback may not have an additional effect on sleep per se, it can enhance treatment satisfaction. This simple intervention shows promise in addressing sleep disturbance in young adults.

A meta-analysis of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for military and veteran populations

BACKGROUND

Military and veteran populations are unique in their trauma exposures, rates of mental illness and comorbidities, and response to treatments. While reviews have suggested that internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) can be useful for treating mental health conditions, the extent to which they may be appropriate for military and veteran populations remain unclear. The goals of the current meta-analysis are to: (1) substantiate the effects of iCBT for military and veteran populations, (2) evaluate its effectiveness compared to control conditions, and (3) examine potential factors that may influence their effectiveness.

METHODS

This review was completed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting and Cochrane review guidelines. The literature search was conducted using PsycInfo, Medline, Embase, and Proquest Dissertation & Theses on June 4, 2021 with no date restriction. Inclusion criteria included studies that: (1) were restricted to adult military or veteran populations, (2) incorporated iCBT as the primary treatment, and (3) evaluated mental health outcomes. Exclusion criteria included: (1) literature reviews, (2) qualitative studies, (3) study protocols, (4) studies that did not include a clinical/analogue population, and (5) studies with no measure of change on outcome variables. Two independent screeners reviewed studies for eligibility. Data was pooled and analyzed using random-effects and mixed-effects models. Study data information were extracted as the main outcomes, including study condition, sample size, and pre- and post-treatment means, standard deviations for all assessed outcomes, and target outcome. Predictor information were also extracted, and included demographics information, the types of outcomes measured, concurrent treatment, dropout rate, format, length, and delivery of intervention.

RESULTS

A total of 20 studies and 91 samples of data were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size showed a small but meaningful effect for iCBT, g = 0.54, SE = 0.04, 95% CI (0.45, 0.62), Z = 12.32, p < .001. These effects were heterogenous across samples, (I² = 87.96), Q(90) = 747.62, p < .001. Predictor analyses found length of intervention and concurrent treatment to influence study variance within sampled studies, p < .05. Evaluation of iCBT on primary outcomes indicated a small but meaningful effect for PTSD and depression, while effects of iCBT on secondary outcomes found similar results with depression, p < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from the meta-analysis lend support for the use of iCBT with military and veteran populations. Conditions under which iCBT may be optimized are discussed.

Treatment feasibility of a digital tool for brief self-help behavioural therapy for insomnia (FastAsleep)

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is efficacious and recommended for insomnia, but availability is scarce. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia self-help interventions could increase availability, especially if unguided. Optimizing cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia methods and system user-friendliness, we developed a short, digital, self-help programme-FastAsleep-based on the behavioural components of sleep restriction and stimulus control. This study investigated its feasibility and preliminary effects. Thirty media-recruited participants with moderate to severe insomnia were assessed via telephone before using FastAsleep for 4 weeks, and were interviewed afterwards. Self-ratings with web questionnaires were conducted at screening, pre-, mid- and post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Primary outcomes were feasibility (credibility, adherence, system user-friendliness and adverse effects), and secondary outcomes were changes in symptom severity (insomnia, depression and anxiety). Adherence was generally high, participants' feasibility ratings were favourable, and adverse effects matched previously reported levels for cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. Symptoms of insomnia decreased after the treatment period (Hedge's g = 1.79, 95% confidence interval = 1.20-2.39), as did symptoms of depression and anxiety. FastAsleep can be considered feasible and promising for alleviating insomnia symptoms among patients fit for self-care. Future controlled trials are needed to establish the efficacy of FastAsleep and its suitability in a stepped care model.

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.

Therapist-Assisted Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Case Report

Despite its well-documented efficacy, few clinicians are trained to deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), and it remains an inaccessible treatment. Therapist-Assisted Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (TAI-CBT-I) holds promise for overcoming barriers to accessing this evidence-based treatment. However, to date, there have been no case reports published that describe how to deliver TAI-CBT-I. This case report fills in this gap by illustrating the application and utility of such a treatment on an asynchronous platform. We report on a course of TAI-CBT-I for a 34-year-old Caribbean Canadian male who presented with chronic insomnia characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep, night awakenings, and reduced helpfulness from medication. Self-report measures of sleep, depression, functioning and ability, and therapist satisfaction were administered throughout treatment, post-discharge, and at follow-up. Improvement was noted across all measures. This case report demonstrates that TAI-CBT-I can be an effective treatment for chronic insomnia and showcases how to deliver it.

Consumer sleep technology for the screening of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring: current status and a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy

There are concerns about the validation and accuracy of currently available consumer sleep technology for sleep-disordered breathing. The present report provides a background review of existing consumer sleep technologies and discloses the methods and procedures for a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy of these devices and apps for the detection of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring in comparison with polysomnography. The search will be performed in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library). Studies will be selected in two steps, first by an analysis of abstracts followed by full-text analysis, and two independent reviewers will perform both phases. Primary outcomes include apnea-hypopnea index, respiratory disturbance index, respiratory event index, oxygen desaturation index, and snoring duration for both index and reference tests, as well as the number of true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives for each threshold, as well as for epoch-by-epoch and event-by-event results, which will be considered for the calculation of surrogate measures (including sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy). Diagnostic test accuracy meta-analyses will be performed using the Chu and Cole bivariate binomial model. Mean difference meta-analysis will be performed for continuous outcomes using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. Analyses will be performed independently for each outcome. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will evaluate the effects of the types (wearables, nearables, bed sensors, smartphone applications), technologies (e.g., oximeter, microphone, arterial tonometry, accelerometer), the role of manufacturers, and the representativeness of the samples.

Insomnia in primary care: Considerations for screening, assessment, and management

Insomnia, including insomnia disorder, is a common but often overlooked complaint in primary care settings. It is a risk factor for various medical and psychiatric diagnoses and is associated with substantial health care costs. While cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment for insomnia disorder, access to CBT-I is limited. This article provides a pragmatic approach to screening, assessment, and treatment of insomnia in the primary care setting, promoting a population health approach. The authors review the role of CBT-I, treatment of comorbid conditions, and pharmacologic recommendations in working with primary care patients with insomnia. In addition, the authors highlight the potential utility of technology in improving access to insomnia care.

Older Adults' Attitudes Regarding COVID-19 and Associated Infection Control Measures in Shanghai and Impact on Well-Being

This cross-sectional study investigated health management, well-being, and pandemic-related perspectives in Shanghainese adults ≥50 years at the early stages of COVID-19 using a self-report survey in March−April, 2020. Items from the SSS, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were administered. A total of 1181 primarily married, retired females participated. Many participants had hypertension (44.1%), coronary artery disease (CAD; 17.8%), and diabetes (14.5%). While most (n = 868, 73.5%) were strictly following control measures and perceived they could tolerate >6 months (n = 555, 47.0%) and were optimistic (n = 969, 82.0%). A total of 52 (8.2%) of those with any condition and 19 (3.5%) of those without a condition reported that the pandemic was impacting their health. Somatic symptoms were high (29.4 ± 7.1/36), with sleep/cognitive symptoms highest. Totals of 20.2% and 17.0% of respondents had elevated depressive and anxious symptoms, respectively; greater distress was associated with lower income (p = 0.018), having hypertension (p = 0.001) and CAD (p < 0.001), negative perceptions of global COVID-19 control (p = 0.004), COVID-19 spread (p < 0.001), impact on life/health (p < 0.001), compliance with control measures (p < 0.001), and the toleration of shorter time control measures (p < 0.001) in adjusted analyses. In conclusion, during the initial COVID-19 outbreak, most older adults were optimistic/resilient regarding the epidemic and control measures. However, the distress of older adults was not trivial, particularly in those with health issues.

Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an internet-based self-help intervention to cope with psychological distress due to COVID-19 in the Italian general population: the RinasciMENTE project

BACKGROUND

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the RinasciMENTE program, an Internet-based self-help intervention based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and techniques in supporting individuals experiencing psychological impairments during the COVID-19 pandemic. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with random allocation at the level of individual will be conducted to compare the impact of the RinasciMENTE program with a waiting list control in improving the psychological functioning of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A minimum sample of 128 participants experiencing mild/subthreshold levels of psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic will be recruited. After the initial screening, participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control condition. The program will last 2 months, during which participants will receive 8 weekly CBT treatment modules. The impact of the RinasciMENTE program on selected primary and secondary psychological outcomes will be tested at the end of the intervention (2 months) and 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

DISCUSSION

We expect people to show an increased level of psychological functioning and to acquire the skills and self-confidence necessary to deal with the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak and its related social isolation during and following the pandemic.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0497903 Registered on 28 May 2021.

Effects of schedule exercise therapy on chronic insomnia

Schedule exercise therapy (SET) is a novel nonpharmacological intervention for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder (CID). The aim of this study was to explore the effects of SET on CID. Methods: One hundred and eighteen CID were recruited and randomized into medication (MED) or medication combined with SET (MSET) groups. Over 12 observational weeks, sleep and mood status were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). At the end of the observational period, the rates of clinically effective hypnotic use were calculated. At 12 weeks, the PSQI progressively decreased for all subjects combined (P < .001) as well as ISI (P < .001), ESS (P < .001), SDS (P < .001), and SAS (P < .001). The decreases in PSQI (P < .05), ISI (P < .05), SDS (P < .01), and SAS (P < .05) in the MSET group were significantly larger than those in the MED group, but not the same as those in the ESS group (P > .05). At the trial endpoint, the clinically effective rate was significantly higher (P < .05) and the hypnotic usage rate was lower (P < .05) in the MSET group than in the MED group. SET may be an effective treatment for insomnia in patients with CID.

Digital Health Interventions for Delivery of Mental Health Care: Systematic and Comprehensive Meta-Review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted mental health care delivery to digital platforms, videoconferencing, and other mobile communications. However, existing reviews of digital health interventions are narrow in scope and focus on a limited number of mental health conditions.

OBJECTIVE

To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive systematic meta-review of the literature to assess the state of digital health interventions for the treatment of mental health conditions.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE for secondary literature published between 2010 and 2021 on the use, efficacy, and appropriateness of digital health interventions for the delivery of mental health care.

RESULTS

Of the 3022 records identified, 466 proceeded to full-text review and 304 met the criteria for inclusion in this study. A majority (52%) of research involved the treatment of substance use disorders, 29% focused on mood, anxiety, and traumatic stress disorders, and >5% for each remaining mental health conditions. Synchronous and asynchronous communication, computerized therapy, and cognitive training appear to be effective but require further examination in understudied mental health conditions. Similarly, virtual reality, mobile apps, social media platforms, and web-based forums are novel technologies that have the potential to improve mental health but require higher quality evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital health interventions offer promise in the treatment of mental health conditions. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital health interventions provide a safer alternative to face-to-face treatment. However, further research on the applications of digital interventions in understudied mental health conditions is needed. Additionally, evidence is needed on the effectiveness and appropriateness of digital health tools for patients who are marginalized and may lack access to digital health interventions.

A Qualitative Study of Sleep and Daily Routines From Focus Groups With Chinese and Bangladeshi American Older Adults Living in New York City

The aim of the current study was to collect qualitative data to understand the nature of sleep and sleep difficulties among Asian American older adults and identify daily routines that may lend insight into modifiable targets for future nursing interventions. We recruited Chinese and Bangladeshi older adults with low English proficiency from community-based settings in New York City. Eligible participants were aged ≥55 years and reported China or Bangladesh as their country of origin. Focus groups were conducted in their native language. Participants completed a questionnaire before joining the discussion. Participants (N = 32) were 57% Chinese American and 43% Bangladeshi American. Average age was 73 years, 50% of the sample reported diabetes, and 22% reported sleep apnea. Our analysis revealed the daily routines among Chinese and Bangladeshi American older adults. Both groups reported general sleep difficulties and sleep difficulties related to health conditions as well as some subgroup differences. Future research may consider designing tailored nursing interventions to improve sleep among these groups. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(12), 35-41.].

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.

Remote delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy to patients with functional neurological disorders: Promise and challenges

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CBT is a promising treatment for patients with FND.

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Remote delivery of CBT can potentially increase access to care for patients with FND.

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Remote CBT can be integrated into clinical practice using a stepwise approach.

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Remote CBT can be integrated into practice using patient predictive factors.

Functional neurological disorders (FND) are an important source of healthcare utilization and morbidity. While there are no formal guidelines for treating these disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is emerging as a safe and effective treatment. Currently, there is a global shortage of CBT providers, with only a small subset trained in and comfortable with treating patients with FND. We highlight four types of remote CBT delivery to patients with FND to alleviate the access obstacle: workbooks, internet-guided CBT, app-based CBT, and teletherapy. CBT workbooks and teletherapy have been studied in FND, with preliminary studies suggesting efficacy; internet-guided CBT and app-based CBT have not but have been effectively used in patients with psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders. As these disorders are often comorbid and share overlapping neurobiology with FND, internet-guided CBT and app-based CBT represent promising delivery options of CBT for FND. Although remotely-delivered CBT is unlikely to replace in-person CBT and there are technical and logistical challenges to overcome prior to widespread deployment, it holds promise as an adjunct treatment when in-person CBT is inaccessible. We propose a rational approach to future allocation of remote CBT treatment options and highlight important research gaps to bridge beforehand.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Digital Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Improving Insomnia Symptoms

Objectives

Insomnia has widespread negative implications for health and well-being. Online delivery of mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia (MBTI) has not previously been evaluated. This study investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a digital MBTI program for improving insomnia symptoms. It was hypothesized that a 6-week digital MBTI program would reduce insomnia symptoms and pre-sleep arousal and improve mood, compared to a waitlist control condition.

Methods

Twenty-seven participants (M = 29.44, SD = 11.97 years) experiencing insomnia symptoms (insomnia severity index [ISI] ≥ 8) were randomized to either a 6-week intervention or waitlist condition. Participants completed the ISI, pre-sleep arousal scale (PSAS), and the positive and negative affect schedule at baseline, mid-, and post-study. Feasibility was assessed across four domains (acceptability, implementation, practicality, and preliminary efficacy) using self-reports, attrition, program completions, and module completions.

Results

Feasibility data for the intervention indicated that there was 22% attrition, and 79% of the modules were completed. There were significantly greater reductions in the severity of insomnia symptoms (p < .001) and both cognitive (p = .03) and somatic (p = .02) subscales of the PSAS, at post-intervention compared to the waitlist group. There were no significant group differences in mood.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary evidence of the feasibility and efficacy of a digital MBTI, which may assist in the broader dissemination of insomnia treatment.Trial RegistrationAustralian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12620000398909.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Sleep Disturbance and Fatigue Following Acquired Brain Injury: Predictors of Treatment Response

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors associated with treatment response to cognitive behavioral therapy for sleep disturbance and fatigue (CBT-SF) after acquired brain injury (ABI).

SETTING

Community dwelling.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty participants with a traumatic brain injury or stroke randomized to receive CBT-SF in a parent randomized controlled trial.

DESIGN

Participants took part in a parallel-groups, parent randomized controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment, comparing an 8-week CBT-SF program with an attentionally equivalent health education control. They were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, 2 months post-treatment, and 4 months post-treatment. The study was completed either face-to-face or via telehealth (videoconferencing). Following this trial, a secondary analysis of variables associated with treatment response to CBT-SF was conducted, including: demographic variables; injury-related variables; neuropsychological characteristics; pretreatment sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression, anxiety and pain; and mode of treatment delivery (face-to-face or telehealth).

MAIN MEASURES

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS).

RESULTS

Greater treatment response to CBT-SF at 4-month follow-up was associated with higher baseline sleep and fatigue symptoms. Reductions in fatigue on the FSS were also related to injury mechanism, where those with a traumatic brain injury had a more rapid and short-lasting improvement in fatigue, compared with those with stroke, who had a delayed but longer-term reduction in fatigue. Mode of treatment delivery did not significantly impact CBT-SF outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight potential differences between fatigue trajectories in traumatic brain injury and stroke, and also provide preliminary support for the equivalence of face-to-face and telehealth delivery of CBT-SF in individuals with ABI.

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.

Sleep in Older Adults and Its Possible Relations With COVID-19

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults have been found to be a highly vulnerable group, with a higher prevalence of severe cases and negative outcomes. Research has focused on the reasons why older adults are at greater risk; Sleep-related factors have been suggested as one possible explanation for this. An individual's sleep pattern undergoes significant changes over the course of their life. In older adults a specific sleep profile can be observed, one characterized by advanced sleep timing, a morningness preference, longer sleep-onset latency, shorter overall sleep duration, increased sleep fragmentation, reduced slow-wave sleep and, increased wake time after sleep onset. Additionally, an increased prevalence of sleep disorders can be observed, such as obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. Previous research has already linked sleep disorders (especially sleep apnea) with COVID-19, but few studies have focused specifically on the older population. We believe that the intrinsic sleep patterns of older adults, and the prevalence of sleep disorders in this population, may be important factors that could explain why they are at a greater risk of negative COVID-19 outcomes. In this review, we discuss the relationship between sleep and COVID-19 among older adults, focusing on three different aspects: (1) Sleep-related issues that might increase the likelihood of getting infected by SARS-COV-2; (2) Sleep disturbances that might increase the predisposition to worse COVID-19 prognosis and outcomes; and (3) COVID-19-related aspects affecting community-dwelling older adults, such as social isolation, quarantine, and home confinement, among others, that might impact sleep.

Status of the practice of sleep medicine in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Like other medical branches, the practice of sleep medicine has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the actual impact is not known. This study was planned to assess the status of the practice of sleep medicine in India during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

METHODS

This was an online questionnaire-based descriptive study. A 25-item questionnaire was developed to assess the functioning of sleep laboratories, use of telemedicine, and positive airway pressure therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The questionnaire was sent to the sleep physicians of 2 major sleep medicine societies of India. Responses were analyzed.

RESULTS

In this study, the response rate was 64.6%. During this pandemic, 72% of physicians reported that they had closed sleep laboratory, whereas 24% reported shifting to home sleep apnea testing. Only half of the sleep physicians confirmed awareness of the disinfection guidelines proposed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to prevent COVID-19 infection in the sleep laboratory. However, almost all of them reported taking preventive measures like the use of protective gear. Sixty-one percent of physicians advised mitigating strategies as a temporary measure to their patients of obstructive sleep apnea. A total of 58.6% opined that auto-positive airway pressure might be used for uncomplicated obstructive sleep apnea without diagnostic polysomnography during the pandemic. Eighty-four percent of physicians reported that they were continuing their services through a telemedicine facility. Physicians reported that consultations for insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep disorders increased during the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep laboratories were reportedly closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most of the sleep physicians were providing services through telemedicine. The majority reported that auto-positive airway pressure without diagnostic polysomnography could be an effective option for uncomplicated obstructive sleep apnea. Consultation for insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep disorders reportedly increased during the lockdown.

Cost-effectiveness of digital cognitive behavioral therapy (Sleepio) for insomnia: a Markov simulation model in the United States

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To examine the cost-effectiveness and potential net monetary benefit (NMB) of a fully automated digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention for insomnia compared with no insomnia treatment in the United States (US). Similar relative comparisons were made for pharmacotherapy and clinician-delivered CBT (individual and group).

METHODS

We simulated a Markov model of 100,000 individuals using parameters calibrated from the literature including direct (treatment) and indirect costs (e.g. insomnia-related healthcare expenditure and lost workplace productivity). Health utility estimates were converted into quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and one QALY was worth $50,000. Simulated individuals were randomized equally to one of five arms (digital CBT, pharmacotherapy, individual CBT, group CBT, or no insomnia treatment). Sensitivity was assessed by bootstrapping the calibrated parameters. Cost estimates were expressed in 2019 US dollars.

RESULTS

Digital CBT was cost beneficial when compared with no insomnia treatment and had a positive NMB of $681.06 (per individual over 6 months). Bootstrap sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the NMB was positive in 94.7% of simulations. Relative to other insomnia treatments, digital CBT was the most cost-effective treatment because it generated the smallest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (-$3,124.73).

CONCLUSIONS

Digital CBT was the most cost-effective insomnia treatment followed by group CBT, pharmacotherapy, and individual CBT. It is financially prudent and beneficial from a societal perspective to utilize automated digital CBT to treat insomnia at a population scale.

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.

Effects of cognitive behavioural therapy on insomnia in adults with tinnitus: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Insomnia is common in patients with tinnitus and negatively affects tinnitus symptoms and quality of life. This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based interventions on insomnia in adults with tinnitus. We conducted a comprehensive database search (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov and PROSPERO) for published, unpublished and ongoing randomised controlled trials of CBT in adults with tinnitus. Five trials met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, with four of these providing data for the meta-analysis. This demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in Insomnia Severity Index (a standard diagnostic questionnaire of insomnia used in clinical settings) following CBT (-3.28, 95% CI -4.51, -2.05, P=<0.001). There was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity (I² = 0%). Risk of bias was considered low in all categories except blinding of participants, personnel, and/or the assessment of outcomes. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that CBT-based interventions can significantly improve sleep in adults with tinnitus.

An Evaluation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Application of Tolin's Criteria for Empirically Supported Treatments

The American Psychological Association's Society of Clinical Psychology recently adopted the "Tolin Criteria" to evaluate empirically supported treatments. These criteria better account for strength and quality of rapidly accumulating evidence bases for various treatments. Here we apply this framework to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Following procedures outlined by Tolin, McKay, et al. (2015), Step 1 included an examination of quantitative systematic reviews; nine met inclusion criteria. Step 2 evaluated review quality and effect size data. We found high-quality evidence that CBT-I produces clinically and statistically significant effects on insomnia and other sleep-related outcomes. Based on the Tolin Criteria, the literature merits a "strong" recommendation for CBT-I. This report is a working model for subsequent applications of the Tolin Criteria.

A Self-Administered Multicomponent Web-Based Mental Health Intervention for the Mexican Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a public health emergency of international concern; it has not only threatened people's physical health but has also affected their mental health and psychological well-being. It is necessary to develop and offer strategies to reduce the psychological impact of the outbreak and promote adaptive coping.

OBJECTIVE

This study protocol aims to describe a self-administered web-based intervention (Mental Health COVID-19) based on the principles of positive psychology supported by elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral activation therapy to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression and increase positive emotions and sleep quality during and after the COVID-19 outbreak through a telepsychology system.

METHODS

A randomized controlled clinical superiority trial with two independent groups will be performed, with intrasubject measures at four evaluation periods: pretest, posttest, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: self-administered intervention with assistance via chat or self-administered intervention without assistance via chat. The total required sample size will be 166 participants (83 per group).

RESULTS

The clinical trial is ongoing. This protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Free School of Psychology-University of Behavioral Sciences (Escuela libre de Psicología-Universidad de Ciencias del Comportamiento). The aim is to publish the preliminary results in December 2020. A conservative approach will be adopted, and the size effect will be estimated using the Cohen d index with a significance level (α) of .05 (95% reliability) and a conventional 80% power statistic.

CONCLUSIONS

The central mechanism of action will be to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention based on positive psychology through a web platform that can be delivered through computers and tablets, with content that has been rigorously contextualized to the Mexican culture to provide functional strategies to help the target users cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04468893; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04468893.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/23117.

Does cognitive-behavioural therapy improve sleep outcomes in individuals with traumatic brain injury: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Insomnia symptoms are common after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) to treat sleep disturbances and insomnia (CBT-I) has been used to improve sleep outcomes. It is unclear if CBT/CBT-I is efficacious in individuals with a TBI. This review was performed to evaluate the use of CBT/CBT-I in individuals with a TBI who also endorse insomnia and concomitant symptoms.

METHODS

Literature searches were conducted in June 2019. A total of 861 articles were found. The full text of 14 articles was reviewed for inclusion/exclusion criteria. Quality appraisal was conducted to assess the risk of bias.

RESULTS

Five articles met the criteria. Two articles were pilot-randomized control trials and three were case studies. The review indicates that individuals participating in CBT/CBT-I reported increased sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and reduced insomnia symptoms and concomitant symptoms. The major source of bias is a limited number of participants across all studies.

CONCLUSION

This review provides evidence that CBT/CBT-I following a TBI can improve sleep outcomes and reduce concomitant symptoms. More robust studies are needed due to limited number of randomized control trials to determine if CBT/CBT-I is an effective treatment in individuals with TBI.

A meta-review of "lifestyle psychiatry": the role of exercise, smoking, diet and sleep in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders

There is increasing academic and clinical interest in how "lifestyle factors" traditionally associated with physical health may also relate to mental health and psychological well-being. In response, international and national health bodies are producing guidelines to address health behaviors in the prevention and treatment of mental illness. However, the current evidence for the causal role of lifestyle factors in the onset and prognosis of mental disorders is unclear. We performed a systematic meta-review of the top-tier evidence examining how physical activity, sleep, dietary patterns and tobacco smoking impact on the risk and treatment outcomes across a range of mental disorders. Results from 29 meta-analyses of prospective/cohort studies, 12 Mendelian randomization studies, two meta-reviews, and two meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials were synthesized to generate overviews of the evidence for targeting each of the specific lifestyle factors in the prevention and treatment of depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Standout findings include: a) convergent evidence indicating the use of physical activity in primary prevention and clinical treatment across a spectrum of mental disorders; b) emerging evidence implicating tobacco smoking as a causal factor in onset of both common and severe mental illness; c) the need to clearly establish causal relations between dietary patterns and risk of mental illness, and how diet should be best addressed within mental health care; and d) poor sleep as a risk factor for mental illness, although with further research required to understand the complex, bidirectional relations and the benefits of non-pharmacological sleep-focused interventions. The potentially shared neurobiological pathways between multiple lifestyle factors and mental health are discussed, along with directions for future research, and recommendations for the implementation of these findings at public health and clinical service levels.

Weekly Self-Ratings of Treatment Involvement and Their Relation to Symptom Reduction in Internet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Background

Treatment involvement, including involvement with written material as well as homework assignments, has previously been associated with better outcomes in cognitive behavioral therapy, but there is a lack of knowledge on which specific aspects of involvement that are the most promising for use as predictors of treatment effects.

Methods

The objective of this study was to use a battery of weekly self-rated questions regarding different aspects of participant involvement during 8 weeks of either guided internet cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (ICBT-i, n = 73), or an active internet-delivered control treatment also including homework (ICBT-ctrl, n = 75), to predict reductions in insomnia severity after treatment. The markers of involvement were single questions on amount of time spent on treatment, amount of text read, amount of subjective knowledge gained and index scores of homework quantity (based on ratings of how many times specific techniques were used) and homework quality (based on ratings of the understanding, used as intended, and helpfulness of each specific technique).

Results

While none of the markers predicted reductions in insomnia severity for participants in the ICBT-ctrl group, text read, subjective knowledge gain, and homework quality predicted larger reductions in insomnia severity for participants in ICBT-i. Amount of subjective knowledge gained was a particularly useful marker in the ICBT-i group, since weekly ratings from the first half of treatment sufficed to explain a rather large proportion of variance in insomnia severity post treatment (14%).

Conclusions

The results strengthen subjective knowledge gain as a candidate for use as a predictor of treatment effects in ICBT-i.

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.

Efficacy of Electroacupuncture on Treating Depression-Related Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) on treating insomnia in patients with depression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a patient-assessor-blind, randomized and sham controlled trial, 90 depression patients with insomnia were assigned into three different groups, receiving EA in the treatment group, superficial acupuncture at sham points in the control group A, or Streitberger non-insertion sham acupuncture in the control group B. Treatment was applied 3 times weekly for 8 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Secondary outcomes were sleep parameters including sleep efficiency (SE), total sleep time (TST) and numbers of sleep awakenings (SA) recorded in the actigraphy, as well as applying the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA). Assessments were performed at the baseline (week 0), week 4, week 8, and week 12. Linear mixed-effects models were used for analyses and all statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

Patients in the EA group had more significant improvement in PSQI scores than those in the control groups over time (respectively p<0.001 and p=0.04 for treatment and time interaction). At 8-week posttreatment, the EA group reported a reduction of -6.64 points in PSQI scores compared with -2.23 points in the control group A (95% CI= -5.74 to -2.39) and -2.94 points in the control group B (95% CI= -5.73 to -2.47). Compared with the two control groups, significant between-group differences were seen in SE (both p<0.01) and TST (both p<0.01) at week 8; similar results can be found in HAMD-17, SDS, and HAMA scores as well. However, there were no between-group differences in SA (respectively p=0.24 and p=0.08) after 8-weeks of treatment.

CONCLUSION

Electroacupuncture may improve the sleep quality of patients with depression.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR); URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=12327; Trial ID: ChiCTR-IIR-16008058.

Telemedicine and the Management of Insomnia

Insomnia is a significant public health concern. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is considered first-line treatment. The use of telemedicine for CBT-i allows for increased access to providers for patients who are geographically remote as well as to self-directed CBT-i modalities that do not require the involvement of a therapist. Tele-CBT-i modalities include video conferencing with a CBT-i therapist in an individual or group setting or use of Web or mobile application-based CBT-i modules with varying levels of support from a therapist. Multiple studies and meta-analyses support the efficacy of tele-CBT-i when compared with face-to-face CBT-i and placebo.

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.

Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia for Adolescents With Mental Health Problems: Feasibility Open Trial

BACKGROUND

Insomnia in adolescents is common, persistent, and associated with poor mental health including anxiety and depression. Insomnia in adolescents attending child mental health services is seldom directly treated, and the effects of digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia (CBTi) on the mental health of adolescents with significant mental health problems are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This open study aimed to assess the feasibility of adding supported Web-based CBT for insomnia to the usual care of young people aged 14 to 17 years attending specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

METHODS

A total of 39 adolescents with insomnia aged 14 to 17 years attending specialist CAMHS were assessed and offered digital CBTi. The digital intervention was Sleepio, an evidence-based, self-directed, fully automated CBTi that has proven effective in multiple randomized controlled trials with adults. Self-report assessments of sleep (Sleep Condition Indicator [SCI], Insomnia Severity Scale, and Web- or app-based sleep diaries), anxiety (Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale [RCADS]), and depression (Mood and Feelings Questionnaire [MFQ]) were completed at baseline and post intervention. Postuse interviews assessed satisfaction with digital CBTi.

RESULTS

Average baseline sleep efficiency was very poor (53%), with participants spending an average of 9.6 hours in bed but only 5.1 hours asleep. All participants scored less than 17 on the SCI, with 92% (36/39) participants scoring 15 or greater on the Insomnia Severity Scale, suggesting clinical insomnia. Of the 39 participants, 36 (92%) scored 27 or greater on the MFQ for major depression and 20 (51%) had clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety. The majority of participants (38/49, 78%) were not having any treatment for their insomnia, with the remaining 25% (12/49) receiving medication. Sleepio was acceptable, with 77% (30/39) of the participants activating their account and 54% (21/39) completing the program. Satisfaction was high, with 84% (16/19) of the participants finding Sleepio helpful, 95% (18/19) indicating that they would recommend it to a friend, and 37% (7/19) expressing a definite preference for a digital intervention. Statistically significant pre-post improvements were found in weekly diaries of sleep efficiency (P=.005) and sleep quality (P=.001) and on measures of sleep (SCI: P=.001 and Insomnia Severity Index: P=.001), low mood (MFQ: P=.03), and anxiety (RCADS: P=.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study has a number of methodological limitations, particularly the small sample size, absence of a comparison group and no follow-up assessment. Nonetheless, our findings are encouraging and suggest that digital CBTi for young people with mental health problems might offer an acceptable and an effective way to improve both sleep and mental health.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/11324.

Efficacy of a Self-Help Web-Based Recovery Training in Improving Sleep in Workers: Randomized Controlled Trial in the General Working Population

BACKGROUND

Sleep complaints are among the most prevalent health concerns, especially among workers, which may lead to adverse effects on health and work. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (iCBT-I) offers the opportunity to deliver effective solutions on a large scale. The efficacy of iCBT-I for clinical samples has been demonstrated in recent meta-analyses, and there is evidence that iCBT-I is effective in the working population with severe sleep complaints. However, to date, there is limited evidence from randomized controlled trials that iCBT-I could also be an effective tool for universal prevention among the general working population regardless of symptom severity. Although increasing evidence suggests that negatively toned cognitive activity may be a key factor for the development and maintenance of insomnia, little is known about how iCBT-I improves sleep by reducing presleep cognitive activity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the efficacy of a self-help internet-delivered recovery training, based on principles of iCBT-I tailored to the work-life domain, among the general working population. General and work-related cognitive activities were investigated as potential mediators of the intervention's effect.

METHODS

A sample of 177 workers were randomized to receive either the iCBT-I (n=88) or controls (n=89). The intervention is a Web-based training consisting of six 1-week modules. As the training was self-help, participants received nothing but technical support via email. Web-based self-report assessments were scheduled at baseline, at 8 weeks, and at 6 months following randomization. The primary outcome was insomnia severity. Secondary outcomes included measures of mental health and work-related health and cognitive activity. In an exploratory analysis, general and work-related cognitive activities, measured as worry and work-related rumination, were investigated as mediators.

RESULTS

Analysis of the linear mixed effects model showed that, relative to controls, participants who received iCBT-I reported significantly lower insomnia severity scores at postintervention (between-group mean difference -4.36; 95% CI -5.59 to - 3.03; Cohen d=0.97) and at 6-month follow-up (between-group difference: -3.64; 95% CI -4.89 to -2.39; Cohen d=0.86). The overall test of group-by-time interaction was significant (P<.001). Significant differences, with small-to-large effect sizes, were also detected for cognitive activity and for mental and work-related health, but not for absenteeism. Mediation analysis demonstrated that work-related rumination (indirect effect: a₁b₁=-0.80; SE=0.34; 95% boot CI -1.59 to -0.25) and worry (indirect effect: a₂b₂=-0.37; SE=0.19; 95% boot CI -0.85 to -0.09) mediate the intervention's effect on sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

A self-help Web-based recovery training, grounded in the principles of iCBT-I, can be effective in the general working population, both short and long term. Work-related rumination may be a particularly crucial mediator of the intervention's effect, suggesting that tailoring interventions to the workplace, including components to reduce the work-related cognitive activity, might be important when designing recovery interventions for workers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00007142; https://www.drks.de/DRKS00007142.

Telephone interventions for co-morbid insomnia and osteoarthritis pain: The OsteoArthritis and Therapy for Sleep (OATS) randomized trial design

The OsteoArthritis and Therapy for Sleep (OATS) study is a population-based randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) with four innovative methodological aims. These are to: (1) Enroll representative participants across Washington state, including those from medically underserved communities; (2) Enroll persons with persistent insomnia and chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain; (3) Test a scalable CBT-I intervention; and (4) Evaluate patient-reported outcomes (insomnia, pain severity, fatigue, depression) and cost-effectiveness over one year. This paper describes progress towards achieving these aims. The target population was persons age 60+ who had received OA care within the Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPW) health care system. We employed a two-phase screening via mail survey and telephone follow-up, with a 3-week interval between screens to exclude persons with spontaneous improvement in sleep or pain symptoms. Participants were randomized to a 6-session telephone-delivered CBT-I intervention or a 6-session telephone education only control condition (EOC). Blinded outcome assessments (completed online or on mailed paper forms) included primary and secondary sleep and pain outcome measures and quality of life measures. We obtained healthcare utilization from administrative claims data. Intent to treat analyses, including all participants randomized when they scheduled the first telephone session, will be conducted to compare CBT-I and EOC outcomes. The trial will be the largest experimental evaluation of telephone CBT-I to date, and the first to evaluate its cost-effectiveness. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02946957.

Comparative effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia: an overview of reviews

BACKGROUND

This review aimed to assess the existing evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in adults with insomnia and identify where research or policy development is needed.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library, and PubMed were searched from inception until June 14, 2017, along with relevant gray literature sites. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full-text articles, and a single reviewer with an independent verifier completed charting, data abstraction, and quality appraisal.

RESULTS

A total of 64 systematic reviews (35 with meta-analysis) were included after screening 5024 titles and abstracts and 525 full-text articles. Eight of the included reviews were rated as high quality using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2) tool, and over half of the included articles (n = 40) were rated as low or critically low quality. Consistent evidence of effectiveness across multiple outcomes based on more than one high- or moderate quality review with meta-analysis was found for zolpidem, suvorexant, doxepin, melatonin, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and evidence of effectiveness across multiple outcomes based on one high-quality review with meta-analysis was found for temazepam, triazolam, zopiclone, trazodone, and behavioral interventions. These interventions were mostly evaluated in the short term (< 16 weeks), and there was very little harms data available for the pharmacological interventions making it difficult to evaluate their risk-benefit ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

Assuming non-pharmacological interventions are preferable from a safety perspective CBT can be considered an effective first-line therapy for adults with insomnia followed by other behavioral interventions. Short courses of pharmacological interventions can be supplements to CBT or behavioral therapy; however, no evidence regarding the appropriate duration of pharmacological therapy is available from these reviews.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42017072527.

Comparative effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia: an overview of reviews

BACKGROUND

This review aimed to assess the existing evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in adults with insomnia and identify where research or policy development is needed.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library, and PubMed were searched from inception until June 14, 2017, along with relevant gray literature sites. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full-text articles, and a single reviewer with an independent verifier completed charting, data abstraction, and quality appraisal.

RESULTS

A total of 64 systematic reviews (35 with meta-analysis) were included after screening 5024 titles and abstracts and 525 full-text articles. Eight of the included reviews were rated as high quality using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2) tool, and over half of the included articles (n = 40) were rated as low or critically low quality. Consistent evidence of effectiveness across multiple outcomes based on more than one high- or moderate quality review with meta-analysis was found for zolpidem, suvorexant, doxepin, melatonin, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and evidence of effectiveness across multiple outcomes based on one high-quality review with meta-analysis was found for temazepam, triazolam, zopiclone, trazodone, and behavioral interventions. These interventions were mostly evaluated in the short term (< 16 weeks), and there was very little harms data available for the pharmacological interventions making it difficult to evaluate their risk-benefit ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

Assuming non-pharmacological interventions are preferable from a safety perspective CBT can be considered an effective first-line therapy for adults with insomnia followed by other behavioral interventions. Short courses of pharmacological interventions can be supplements to CBT or behavioral therapy; however, no evidence regarding the appropriate duration of pharmacological therapy is available from these reviews.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42017072527.

Efficacy of an m-Health Physical Activity and Sleep Health Intervention for Adults: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION

Interventions that improve both physical activity and sleep quality may be more effective in improving overall health. The purpose of the Synergy Study is to test the efficacy of a mobile health combined behavior intervention targeting physical activity and sleep quality.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized, waitlist-controlled trial.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

This study had an app-based delivery mode, Australia-wide. The participants were 160 adults who reported insufficient physical activity and poor sleep quality in an eligibility survey.

INTERVENTION

The intervention was a mobile app providing educational resources, goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback strategies. It included 12 weeks of personalized support including weekly reports, tool sheets, and prompts.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3 months (primary), and 6 months (secondary endpoint). Self-reported minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity and sleep quality were co-primary outcomes. Resistance training; sitting time; sleep hygiene; sleep timing variability; insomnia severity; daytime sleepiness; quality of life; and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were secondary outcomes. Data were collected between June 2017 and February 2018 and analyzed in August 2018.

RESULTS

At 3 months, between-group differences in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity were not statistically significant (p=0.139). Significantly more participants in the intervention group engaged in ≥2 days/week (p=0.004) of resistance training. The intervention group reported better overall sleep quality (p=0.009), subjective sleep quality (p=0.017), sleep onset latency (p=0.013), waketime variability (p=0.018), sleep hygiene (p=0.027), insomnia severity (p=0.002), and lower stress symptoms (p=0.032) relative to waitlist controls. At 6 months, group differences were maintained for sleep hygiene (p=0.048), insomnia severity (p=0.002), and stress symptoms (p=0.006). Differences were observed for bedtime variability (p=0.023), sleepiness (p<0.001), daytime dysfunction (p=0.039), and anxiety symptoms (p=0.003) at 6 months, but not 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

This remotely delivered intervention did not produce statistically significant between-group differences in minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. Significant short-term differences in resistance training and short- and medium-term differences in sleep health in favor of the intervention were observed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered at anzctr.org.au ACTRN12617000376347.