Sleepless? A Study in Primary Care
Severe anxiety has been shown to play a driving role in insomnia, which is a common reason for seeking help in primary care. Therefore, it is important to treat severe anxiety.
This study is an evaluation of anxiety-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in group settings for people with insomnia in primary care. The study aims to further develop the anxiety-focused CBT treatment that has been successfully tested in groups at Kronoparken Health Center in Karlstad for individuals with various combinations of anxiety disorders, depression, and insomnia. The strongest treatment effect was improved sleep, where participants experienced significantly reduced insomnia symptoms. This is positive as insomnia is both a risk factor and a maintaining factor for anxiety and depression, and there is a great need for effective and accessible psychological treatments for people with insomnia.
The overall goal of the project is to evaluate anxiety-focused CBT in groups for people with insomnia, with or without comorbid conditions (anxiety and depression). Another goal is to further explore the method to better understand for whom it works and in what order symptom changes occur. This will be done by having 50 individuals over the age of 18 test anxiety-focused group CBT for 8 weeks (8-9 people per group). Their levels of insomnia, anxiety, rumination, and psychological symptoms will be measured before, during, and after treatment. Weekly measurements of insomnia symptoms and anxiety/rumination will also be taken. If the results are positive, this treatment could be of great value to primary care clinics, as the group format is efficient in treating many people simultaneously.
We are now seeking 10 participants for a final group that will meet for 8 weeks at Gripens Health Center on Tuesdays between 2:00-4:00 PM, starting no earlier than the second half of October. If you're interested, please visit the link and answer the questions. We will contact the first 10 people who meet the criteria by phone for a brief interview to assess if the treatment would be suitable for them
The recruitment for the study is completed.