Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T06:23:09.221Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Multiple Treatment Approach to the Group Treatment of Insomnia: A Follow-up Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Dilys R. Davies
Dilys R. Davies
Affiliation:
Central Nottinghamshire Health Authority
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological methods on the group treatment of insomnia. Assessments were administered on measures of general and physical health, symptoms associated with anxiety and benzodiazepine usage and specific measures related to sleep pre- and post-treatment, and at a one year follow up. Fifteen patients were referred from GPs in one practice, and were sequentially assigned into three groups. Treatment took the form of 11 to 13 sessions of weekly group therapy. The group treatment consisted of (1) cognitive-behavioural strategies, including sleep monitoring, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, anxiety management and progressive relaxation; (2) sleep education; (3) gradual drug withdrawal. The results indicated that immediate post-treatment improvements on measures of general health, symptom reduction, reduction of hypnotic-sedative medication, and on the quantity and quality of sleep were maintained after an interval of one year after treatment. Insomnia was less severe, less frequent, of shorter duration and more easily managed. However, there were no improvements on measures aimed to assess general coping strategies nor on measures of sleep maintenance insomnia between the three periods. The findings and implications for future research in this area are discussed.

Type
Clinical Section
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , October 1989 , pp. 323 - 331
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashton, H. (1984). Benzodiazopines withdrawal: an unfinished story. British Medical Journal 288, 1135–1140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Billings, A. G. and Moos, R. H. (1981). The role of coping responses and social resources in attenuating the stress of life events. Journal of Behavioural Medicine 4, 139–157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bixler, E. D., Kales, A. and Soldatos, C. A. (1979). Sleep disorders encountered in medical practice: A national survey of physicians. Behavioural Medicine 6, 1–6.Google Scholar
Bootzin, R. (1972). A stimulus control treatment for insomnia. Proceedings of the American Psychological Association 7, 395–396.Google Scholar
Borkovec, T. D. (1982). Insomnia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 880–895.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clift, A. (1985). Treating insomnia. Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners. August 1985, 365–366.Google ScholarPubMed
Davies, D. R. (1986). Psychological Treatment for Insomnia.Paper presented at the 8th European Sleep Congress,Szeged, Hungary,1986.Google Scholar
Espie, C. A. and Lindsay, W. R. (1985). Paradoxical intention in the treatment of chronic insomnia: Six case studies illustrating variability in therapeutic responses. Behaviour Research and Therapy 23(6), 703–709.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. (1972). The Detection of Psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Haynes, S. N., Adams, A. and Franzen, M. (1981). The effects of presleep stress on sleep-onset insomnia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 90(6), 601–606.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kamens, L. (1980). Cognitive and attribution factors in sleep-onset insomnia. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Southern Illinois, University of Carbondale.Google Scholar
Kirmil-Gray, K., Eagleston, J. R., Thorensen, C. E. and Zarcone, V. P. Jr (1985). Brief consultation and stress management. Treatments for drug-dependent insomnia: Effects of sleep quality, self-efficacy and daytime stress. Journal of Behavioural Medicine 8(1).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knapp, T. J., Downs, D. L. and Alperson, J. R. (1976). Behaviour therapy for insomnia: A review. Behaviour Therapy 7, 614–625.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lacks, P. E., Bertelson, A. D., Gans, L. and Kunkel, J. (1983). The effectiveness of three behavioural treatments for different degrees of sleep-onset insomnia. Behaviour Therapy 14, 593–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nau, S. D. and Walsh, J. K. (1983). Sleep hygiene of insomnia patients, Sleep Research, 12, 268.Google Scholar
Nicassio, P. and Bootzin, R. (1974). A comparison of progressive relaxation and autogenic training as treatments for insomnia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 83, 253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pawlicki, R. E. and Heitkemper, T. (1985). Behavioural management of insomnias. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing 23(7), 14–17.Google Scholar
Rimm, D. G. and Masters, J. C. (1979). Behavioural Therapy: Techniques and Empirical Findings. 2nd Ed., New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Sleep Disorder Classification Committee (1979). Diagnostic Classification of Sleep and Arousal Disorders. New York: Raven.Google Scholar
Spector, R. (1985). Insomnia: Education and treatment. Drug Therapy Review, OWA Med. 75(3), 123–124.Google Scholar
Spielman, A. J. (1986). Assessment of insomnia. Clinical Psychology Review 6, 11–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, R. M. (1986). Behavioural self-control procedures for disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS). Clinical Psychology Review 6, 27–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, R. M. and Ascher, L. M. (1982). Therapist factor in the treatment of insomnia. Behaviour Research and Therapy 20, 33–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.