07 Jul Cognitive Behavioral Therapy May Help Many Patients With Insomnia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jason Ong, Ph.D., CBSM
Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Director, Behavioral Sleep Medicine Training Program
Rush University Medical Center
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Insomnia is a very common sleep problem that was previously thought to be related to another medical or psychiatric condition. Evidence now supports the notion that insomnia can emerge as a disorder distinct from the comorbid condition. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the most widely used nonpharmacologic treatment for insomnia, in the context of medical and psychiatric comorbidities.
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 studies and found that 36% of patients who received cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia were in remission at post-treatment compared to 17% who received a control or comparison condition. CBT-I had medium to large effects for improving sleep quality and reducing the amount of time awake in bed. Positive findings were also found on the comorbid condition, with greater improvements in psychiatric conditions compared to medical conditions.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: Patients who experience sleep disturbances should discuss their sleep problems with their doctors. Clinicians should regularly assess for sleep disturbances in the context of comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions and they should be aware that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is an effective treatment option.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: Future studies should examined more precisely the impact of treating sleep disturbances on the comorbid condition. This would help improve the understanding of the relationship between sleep and overall health. In addition, research on dissemination and implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is needed to find more efficient and effective ways to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia to patients with insomnia. Currently, there is an insufficient number of CBT-I providers to meet the demands of the numerous people with insomnia.
Citation:
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Dr. Gary K Owens Ph.D, & Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy May Help Many Patients With Insomnia
Last Updated on July 7, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD