Self-help Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a self-help book for insomnia, with or without therapist support, can improve sleep and alleviate insomnia symptoms in individuals suffering from insomnia, also for persons presenting with different kinds of co-morbid problems.

CBT has previously been identified as an effective treatment for insomnia. However, there is a lack of trained CBT-therapists, and self-help is beginning to prove useful for many areas of psychological distress. Earlier studies of different kinds of self-help (e.g. computer based and bibliotherapeutic) suggest that many patients do indeed benefit from self-help treatments for insomnia, but there is a need for independent replications. Also, most previous studies have had very strict inclusion criteria, such that for instance only individuals with primary insomnia and no co-morbid problems have been included. A general question in self-help is whether patients need therapist support to benefit from treatment, or if a book is enough to alleviate symptoms.

A group receiving a self-help book to work on for six weeks, together with brief weekly telephone calls (<15 minutes) from a therapist.

This group receives no intervention until about five months after the two treatment groups, when participants in this group receive the self-help book without therapist support.

Daily self-observation of sleeping behaviours used to calculate Total Sleep Time, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Onset Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and gagues Sleep Quality, Daytime Ratings, Daytime Fatique and Bedtime Stress.

Daily self-observation of sleeping behaviours used to calculate Total Sleep Time, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Onset Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and gagues Sleep Quality, Daytime Ratings, Daytime Fatique and Bedtime Stress.

Daily self-observation of sleeping behaviours used to calculate Total Sleep Time, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Onset Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and gagues Sleep Quality, Daytime Ratings, Daytime Fatique and Bedtime Stress.

7-item patient-reported outcome assessing the severity of initial, middle and late insomnia; sleep satisfaction; interference of insomnia with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress about sleep difficulties. A 5-point scale is used to rate each item, yielding a total score of 0 to 28. Higher score indicates more severe insomnia within 4 severity categories: absence of insomnia (score of 0-7); subthreshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22-28).

7-item patient-reported outcome assessing the severity of initial, middle and late insomnia; sleep satisfaction; interference of insomnia with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress about sleep difficulties. A 5-point scale is used to rate each item, yielding a total score of 0 to 28. Higher score indicates more severe insomnia within 4 severity categories: absence of insomnia (score of 0-7); subthreshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22-28).

7-item patient-reported outcome assessing the severity of initial, middle and late insomnia; sleep satisfaction; interference of insomnia with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress about sleep difficulties. A 5-point scale is used to rate each item, yielding a total score of 0 to 28. Higher score indicates more severe insomnia within 4 severity categories: absence of insomnia (score of 0-7); subthreshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22-28).

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18 and above Diagnosis of Insomnia (Research Diagnostic Criteria) Access to computer Ability to read and write Swedish Exclusion Criteria: Severe psychopathology (e.g. bipolar disorder, suicidality) Shift work

Kraepelien M, Blom K, Forsell E, Hentati Isacsson N, Bjurner P, Morin CM, Jernelov S, Kaldo V. A very brief self-report scale for measuring insomnia severity using two items from the Insomnia Severity Index - development and validation in a clinical population. Sleep Med. 2021 May;81:365-374. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.003. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Jernelov S, Lekander M, Blom K, Rydh S, Ljotsson B, Axelsson J, Kaldo V. Efficacy of a behavioral self-help treatment with or without therapist guidance for co-morbid and primary insomnia--a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. 2012 Jan 22;12:5. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-5.