Low-intensity Cognitive-behavioural Therapy for Insomnia

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare the Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workshop, Sleep Hygiene Education Workshop and Self-Help Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Adults With Sleep Impairment in Hong Kong

A randomized controlled trial is proposed to compare the effectiveness of workshop-based and self-Help cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), and sleep hygiene education (SHE) to treat insomnia in Hong Kong adolescent and adult patients, in terms of alleviation of insomnia severity, reduction in associated insomnia symptoms/ complications, and enhancement in quality of life. Insomnia is prevalent in Hong Kong and can cause severe impacts on patients and society, but there is a dearth of related research in the local population. Therefore, it is significant to conduct this study. A total of 210 participants aged > 18 with insomnia will be recruited and randomized into 3 groups to receive one of the 3 treatments. Outcomes will be measured using relevant questionnaires filled in at the baseline, 6 and 12 weeks afterwards. The results obtained will be compared within each group and among the 3 groups using statistical testing to determine the most effective treatment option for insomnia.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Insomnia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia; Behavioral: Sleep hygiene education

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 210
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • The University of Hong Kong

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hong Kong residents
• Aged 16 or above
• Satisfy the DSM-5 criteria for insomnia, i.e. inability to fall or keep asleep, or wake up too early for 3 days or more per week, throughout a minimum period of 1 month (instead of 3 months in the diagnostic criteria D) using the Brief Insomnia Questionnaire. This is to include episodic insomnia which is considered as an 'other specified insomnia disorder' in DSM-5.
• Score at least 10 points in Insomnia Severity Index
• Able to read and understand Cantonese
• Have Internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

• Suffer from recently diagnosed and untreated medical, psychiatric or sleep disorders that likely contribute to the onset and maintenance of insomnia, e.g. major depressive disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, chronic pain.
• Currently receiving CBTI or SHE
• Work on irregular rotational shift

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CBTI Workshop; The first intervention group (Group 1) will attend one half-day CBTI workshop in the community setting. The workshop is subdivided into 4 sessions, covering topics regarding regulation of stimuli, limit of sleeping duration, relaxation, sleep hygiene and alteration of cognitive beliefs (Arnedt, Cuddihy, & Swanson, et al, 2014; Morin, Savard, Ouellet, & Daley, 2003). One workshop has the capacity of 30 participants.	Behavioral: Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia; CBTI involves habitual, belief and attitude alterations so as to eliminate factors preventing sleep (Morin, Savard, Ouellet, & Daley, 2003). It is recommended by the American College of Physicians as the first-line therapy for insomnia (Qaseem, Kansagara, Forciea, Cooke, & Denberg, 2016). CBTI workshops are a relatively novel and emerging way of delivery which involves a greater number of patients than group CBTI, increases availability and accessibility by concentrating the content into half or whole day and taking place in the community settings, and reduces diagnostic labeling and cost (Bonin, Beecham, Swift, Raikundalia, & Brown, 2014; Swift, Stewart, Andiappan, Smith, Espie, & Brown, 2012). Self-help CBTI involves independent learning of the provided materials via the Internet, video or audio recording, books and pamphlets (Bruin, Bogels, Oort, & Meijer, 2015).
Experimental: Self-Help CBTI; The second intervention group (Group 2) will receive self-help CBTI. A CBTI webpage will be set up and the subjects are asked to review all the materials in it. The content is the same as that in Group 1.	Behavioral: Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia; CBTI involves habitual, belief and attitude alterations so as to eliminate factors preventing sleep (Morin, Savard, Ouellet, & Daley, 2003). It is recommended by the American College of Physicians as the first-line therapy for insomnia (Qaseem, Kansagara, Forciea, Cooke, & Denberg, 2016). CBTI workshops are a relatively novel and emerging way of delivery which involves a greater number of patients than group CBTI, increases availability and accessibility by concentrating the content into half or whole day and taking place in the community settings, and reduces diagnostic labeling and cost (Bonin, Beecham, Swift, Raikundalia, & Brown, 2014; Swift, Stewart, Andiappan, Smith, Espie, & Brown, 2012). Self-help CBTI involves independent learning of the provided materials via the Internet, video or audio recording, books and pamphlets (Bruin, Bogels, Oort, & Meijer, 2015).
Active Comparator: SHE Workshop; The control group (Group 3) will receive SHE. To ensure uniformity of the therapy model, the participants will also need to attend one half-day face-to-face session, covering topics related to sleep hygiene only. The capacity is also 30 participants.	Behavioral: Sleep hygiene education; SHE, is commonly provided verbally or through leaflets during consultations (Espie, 2009), and is also included as a part of CBTI (Morin, Savard, Ouellet, & Daley, 2003).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Insomnia severity	To identify whether CBTI workshop, self-help CBTI or SHE workshop results in the greatest alleviation of insomnia severity using the Insomnia Severity Index, which allows the patients to rate their perceived severity and satisfaction level towards their current conditions (Arnedt, Cuddihy & Swanson, et al, 2014; Wong, Zhang & Li, et al, 2017).	Baseline assessment (Week 0); Short-term follow-up (Week 8); Long-term follow-up (Week 16)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Symptoms of Mood disorders	To identify which of the 3 therapies brings the largest reduction mood disorders through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.	Baseline assessment (Week 0); Short-term follow-up (Week 8); Long-term follow-up (Week 16)
Change in Quality of life	To investigate which of the 3 therapies improves the quality of life of patients to the greatest extent using the Short-Form Six-Dimension Health Survey.	Baseline assessment (Week 0); Short-term follow-up (Week 8); Long-term follow-up (Week 16)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): July 31, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 7, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 8, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): November 9, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 23, 2020
• Last Verified: March 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Insomnia; Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia; Sleep hygiene education
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: UW 18-396

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No