A research summary from the UK’s NIH reveals that computerized or online cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) are increasingly being developed to deliver insomnia therapy. According to the NIH, these new therapies seek to address the difficulty of delivering an evidence-based technology to a large number of patients at low cost.
The study “A pilot evaluation of an online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia disorder – targeted screening and interactive Web design lead to improved sleep in a community population” analysis by researchers from UK-based Freeman hospital reports that “previous online applications have shown significant but variable improvements in sleep efficiency, and a decrease in insomnia severity when compared with control groups. The best online methodology remains debated, and there are no such applications currently available within the UK National Health Service.”
Researchers concluded that “Online CBT-i can be designed to deliver personalized therapy with good reported outcomes and high compliance rates in those who start therapy. This initial evaluation also suggests that screening for other sleep disorders and mental health problems is necessary as many other sleep disorders are detected in those who self-refer with insomnia. This would inform the development of any larger-scale applications within the psychological therapies used in the health care system.”
