A Meta-analysis of Imagery Rehearsal for Post-trauma Nightmares: Effects on Nightmare Frequency, Sleep Quality, and Posttraumatic Stress
M. Casement, L. Swanson
Clinical Psychology Review June 30, 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Individuals with post-trauma nightmares |
| Interventions | Imagery rehearsal Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia |
| Duration | 6 to 12 month follow-up |
| Topics | Dreaming PTSD |
| Key findings | Imagery rehearsal had large effects on nightmare frequency, sleep quality, and PTSD symptoms, sustained through 6 to 12 month follow-up. |
Abstract
This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of imagery rehearsal as a treatment for nightmares, general sleep disturbance, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Bibliographic databases and cited references were searched to identify clinical trials of imagery rehearsal in individuals with post-trauma nightmares. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria and reported sleep and post-traumatic stress outcomes in sufficient detail to calculate effect sizes. Results indicate that imagery rehearsal had large effects on nightmare frequency, sleep quality, and PTSD symptoms. These effects were sustained through 6 to 12 month follow-up. Furthermore, interventions that included both imagery rehearsal and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia resulted in greater treatment-related improvement in sleep quality than imagery rehearsal alone. Combined treatment did not improve outcomes for PTSD or nightmares. Notably, effect sizes were small in the single study that included an active-treatment control condition. Future research should identify necessary and sufficient components of interventions for trauma-related sleep disturbance and post-traumatic stress (e.g., exposure, cognitive reappraisal, circadian regulation).
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on PTSD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 53
- Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives Journal of Sleep Research January 29, 2019
- Efficacy of a Cognitive‐Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia and Nightmares in Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans With PTSD Journal of Clinical Psychology April 29, 2013
- Nightmares in Patients with Psychosis: The Relation with Sleep, Psychotic, Affective, and Cognitive Symptoms The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry August 1, 2015
- Is It a Good Idea to Cultivate Lucid Dreaming? Frontiers in Psychology November 15, 2019
- Managing Insomnia Using Lucid Dreaming Training: A Pilot Study. Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2021
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Cites 12
- Sleep Disturbance in Adults With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry August 15, 2007
- A combined group treatment for nightmares and insomnia in combat veterans: A pilot study Journal of Traumatic Stress November 11, 2009
- Physiological predictors of response to exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy for chronic nightmares in a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine December 1, 2011
- Treating nightmares and insomnia in posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of current evidence. Neuropharmacology March 17, 2011
- Imagery rehearsal for posttraumatic nightmares: A randomized controlled trial Journal of Traumatic Stress October 1, 2010
and 7 more in the library