The DOI matches its Crossref record; 50 of the 50 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Self-help therapy for insomnia: A meta-analysis
Abstract
Background Insomnia is a prevalent problem which often leads to a reduced quality of life and diminished work productivity. Only a minority of patients are treated with effective non-pharmacological therapies. A self-help intervention might offer an inexpensive and more accessible alternative to face-to-face treatment.Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies examining the effects of self-help interventions for insomnia, identified through extensive searches of bibliographical databases. We examined the effects of self-help on different sleep outcomes, in comparison with both waiting lists controls and face-to-face treatments.Results Ten studies with a total of 1000 subjects were included. The intervention did improve sleep efficiency (d=0.42; p<0.05), sleep onset latency (d=0.29; p<0.05), wake after sleep onset (d=0.44; p<0.05) and sleep quality (d=0.33; p<0.05) but not total sleep time (d=0.02; p>0.05). The sleep improvements were maintained over the longer term. Symptoms of anxiety and depression also decreased after self-help (d=0.28; p<0.05 and d=0.51; p<0.05, respectively). Although based on a very limited number of studies, the face-to-face treatments did not show statistically significant superiority to the self-help treatments. The effect sizes associated with self-help treatments might be overestimated due to publication bias.Conclusions The effects of self-help treatments are small to moderate. Nevertheless, they might constitute a useful addition to existing treatment options especially when integrated in a stepped care approach.
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“Second, albeit comparable in efficacy to face-to-face CBT-I, self-guided interventions may result in smaller treatment effects. 14,37,38”
From Digital Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Cancer Survivors: Protocol for a Pragmatic Clinical Trial (2024) · cites this paper as [38]
In the citing paper
“Previous meta-analyses provide some evidence to suggest Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia moderately improves anxiety”
From Do non-pharmacological sleep interventions affect anxiety symptoms? A meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as van Straten & Cuijpers, 2009
In the citing paper
“while previous studies36, 37 with community samples have shown self-help sleep treatment to reduce anxiety and depression.”
From The effects of improving sleep on mental health (OASIS): a randomised controlled trial with mediation analysis (2017) · cites this paper as [37]
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European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia
Riemann, D., Baglioni, C., Bassetti, C., Bjorvatn, B., Dolenc Groselj, L., Ellis, J. G., Espie, C. A., Garcia‐Borreguero, D., Gjerstad, M., Gonçalves, M., et al. (2017) · Journal of Sleep Research · doi:10.1111/jsr.12594 · Cited by 2,049
“Buscemi, N., Vandermeer, B., Friesen, C. et al. The efficacy and safety of drug treatments for chronic insomnia in adults: a meta-analysis of RCTs. J. Gen. Intern.”
InfluentialMorin, C. M., & Benca, R. (2012) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(11)60750-2 · Cited by 976
The European Insomnia Guideline: An update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia 2023
Riemann, D., Espie, C. A., Altena, E., Arnardottir, E. S., Baglioni, C., Bassetti, C. L. A., Bastien, C., Berzina, N., Bjorvatn, B., Dikeos, D., et al. (2023) · Journal of Sleep Research · doi:10.1111/jsr.14035 · Cited by 834
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“However, the main disadvantage of such approaches is their lack of wide availability, because they must be delivered by highly trained specialists (van Straten and Cuijpers 2009).”
BackgroundFreeman, D., Sheaves, B., Goodwin, G. M., Yu, L.-M., Nickless, A., Harrison, P. J., Emsley, R., Luik, A. I., Foster, R. G., Wadekar, V., et al. (2017) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(17)30328-0 · Cited by 652
Metadata
- Authors
- van Straten, A., & Cuijpers, P.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- ORCID
- Cuijpers, Pim
- Venue
- Sleep Medicine Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-02
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 61-71
- ISSN
- 1087-0792 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2085833142
- Cited by
- 185
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 0.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Sleep Medicine Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- insomnia, self-help intervention, non-pharmacological treatment, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, stepped care, long-term treatment outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Combined Modality Therapy, Depression, Humans, Disorders of Excessive Somnolence, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Physician-Patient Relations, Self Care, Comorbidity, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome
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