0336 Tele-Self CBTi: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Nurse-Supported Self-Management Intervention for Insomnia Disorder

Approximately half of all Veterans meet diagnostic criteria for Insomnia Disorder. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) is recommended as first-line treatment but access is limited. Self-help CBTi could increase patient access and is more effective with provider support. Self-help CBTi has not been evaluated in those with significant mental health morbidity or Veterans; a population having greater medical and mental health morbidity and more severe sleep difficulties than non-Veterans.

Treatment-seeking Veterans were randomly assigned to 6 sessions of Tele-Self CBTi or Health Education Control (HEC). Nurses without sleep medicine experience were trained to deliver Tele-Self CBTi; the combination of provider support plus professionally designed patient and provider CBTi treatment manuals developed through an iterative process integrating expert and patient feedback. Both arms received nurse phone contacts (≤20 minutes). Outcomes including insomnia severity, subjective and objective sleep parameters, fatigue and mood were assessed at baseline, post-treatment (8 weeks), and 6 months.

Study participants (N=178) were 55 years of age (SD=13), mostly male (72%), with a mental health condition (83%), and about half African American (43%) and half Caucasian (49%). At post-treatment, Veterans randomized to Tele-Self CBTi realized greater reductions in insomnia severity (ISI estimated mean improvement 5.7 vs 2.0, p<.001) and greater improvements in fatigue and depression symptoms (ps<.04). At 6 months, ISI findings were sustained (5.3 vs. 2.4, p<.001) and more Tele-Self CBTi than HEC participants (32% vs 10%) scored below the cutoff suggestive of insomnia disorder (ISI< 11) (p=.001). Preliminary findings also suggest better post-treatment outcomes for Tele-Self CBTi on sleep diary SOL (25 vs 45 minutes) and WASO (34 vs 55 minutes).

A self-management CBTi requiring minimal provider resources was effective in reducing insomnia severity in veterans with considerable mental health co-morbidity. Tele-Self CBTi can help bridge the gap between unavailable resources and high demand for services and can serve as the entry level in stepped-care treatment for insomnia disorder. Future research is needed to identify characteristics of patients most likely to benefit from Tele-Self CBTi.

Funding was provided by Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development (CIN 13-410 and IIR 16-281).