Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Tailored to Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Pre–Post Study

ABSTRACT

Objective: There is little research assessing the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), even less on the effects of CBT-I on CVD risk factors such as anxiety and depression, and to our knowledge, only limited studies of the efficacy of CBT-I protocols with cardiac disease-specific modifications. The objective of this study is to evaluate a group-based CBT-I intervention tailored to patients with CVD on sleep quality, duration, and mental health. Participants: A sample of 47 participants (25 men) diagnosed with primary insomnia were included in this study. Methods: This study used a pre–post design comparing outcomes before and after a group intervention. Clinicians in a cardiac center referred CVD patients with self-reported sleep disturbance to the intervention group. Following screening and confirmation of insomnia disorder, participants completed a six-week CBT-I group-based intervention tailored for patients with CVD. Participants completed sleep diaries and questionnaires, including the Insomnia Severity Index, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory, pre- and postintervention. Results: Participants’ sleep outcomes (sleep duration, maintenance, efficiency, latency, and quality) were significantly improved and patients reported significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia following the CBT-I intervention (p values < .05). Conclusions: After participating in a CBT-I group intervention tailored for cardiac patients, patients reported improved sleep and significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression. Randomized trials of this intervention are warranted.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.