Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Though the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is well-established, the paucity of credentialed providers hinders widespread access. Further, the impact of alternatives such as web-delivered CBTI has not been adequately tested on common insomnia comorbidities such as anxiety. Therefore, we assessed the impact of an empirically validated web-delivered CBTI intervention on insomnia and comorbid anxiety symptoms. A sample of 22 adults (49.8±13.5 yo; 62.5% female) with DSM-5 based insomnia were randomized to either an active CBTI treatment group (n = 13) or an information-control (IC) group (n = 9). Participants in the CBTI group underwent a standard CBTI program delivered online by a 'virtual' therapist, whereas the IC group received weekly 'sleep tips' and general sleep hygiene education via electronic mail. All participants self-reported sleep parameters, including sleep onset latency (SOL), insomnia symptoms per the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and anxiety symptoms per the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) at both baseline as well as follow- up assessment one week post-treatment. There were no significant differences between the CBTI and IC groups on baseline measures. The CBTI group showed significantly larger reductions in BAI scores (t = 2.6; p < .05; Cohen's d = .8) and ISI scores (t = 2.1; p < .05; Cohen's d = .9) at follow-up than did the IC group. Further, changes in SOL from baseline (62.3±44.0 minutes) to follow-up (22.3±14.4 minutes) in the CBTI group were also significantly greater (t = 2.3; p < .05; Cohen's d = .9) than in the IC group (baseline: 55.0±44.2 minutes; follow-up: 50.±60.2 minutes). This study offers preliminary evidence that a web-delivered CBTI protocol with minimal patient contact can improve comorbid anxiety symptoms among individuals with insomnia.

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Sleep Med Disord

Publication Date

2015

Volume

2

Keywords

Anxiety, CBTI, Insomnia, Randomized Clinical Trial