Assessment of the Effectiveness of Online and Face-to-Face Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia/ Nightmares in Adults Exposed to Trauma Using Self-Report and Objective Measures: Preliminary Findings
Fredrick Sunday Isaac
Trends in Telemedicine & E-health January 31, 2022 DOI: 10.31031/tteh.2022.03.000559 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults presenting with trauma symptoms and insomnia and/or nightmares |
| Interventions | Online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) face-to-face CBT |
| Measures | sleep diaries, actigraphy |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Both online and face-to-face CBT were effective treatments for insomnia in adults with trauma symptoms. Face-to-face CBT outperformed online CBT on sleep diary measures, but actigraphy findings were not consistent with self-report measures. The authors call for further comparative studies. |
Abstract
Online therapies are gaining rapid attention since the COVID-19 pandemic.The ever-evolving way of living during the pandemic changed our health system and the way therapies are delivered and received.Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be as effective as face-to-face therapies in treating insomnia and/or nightmares in adults presenting with trauma symptoms.This review assessed the efficacy of online CBT for the treatment of insomnia in comparison to face-to-face CBT using selfreport and objective measures of sleep such as actigraphy.A literature search on the following databases was carried out: PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, EBSCO and Taylor & Francis between January 1990 and January of 2022.Two studies met the inclusion criteria.Findings from this review showed that both online and face-to-face CBT were effective treatments of insomnia, with face-to-face outperforming online CBT in adults with trauma symptoms using sleep diaries.However, findings from actigraphy were not consistent with self-report measures.Further studies that assess and compare online and face-to-face psychological treatments for the treatment of insomnia/nightmares in those presenting with trauma symptoms are needed.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. | 2013 | Systematic review with meta-analytic comparison | |
| Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| The effectiveness of lucid dreaming therapy in patients with nightmares: A systematic review. Adults with chronic and recurring nightmares | 2023 | Systematic review | |
| The relationships between insomnia, nightmares, and dreams: A systematic review Individuals without a concomitant psychopathology, including those with insomnia or... | 2024 | Systematic review | |
| Psychosocial treatments for nightmares in adults and children: a systematic review | 2023 | Systematic review |