Pilot Study on Sleep Management for US Veterans

A Pilot Study of Two Contrasting Intervention Programs for Sleep Management

The aim of the proposed pilot study is to scientifically evaluate the use of Mind-Body Bridging Program (MBBP) as an effective intervention for improving health outcomes in veterans exhibiting sleep disturbance in the Primary Care Clinic at the Veterans Administration Salt Lake City Health Care System (VASLCHCS).

Participants will be randomly assigned to either MBBP or a treatment as usual sleep hygiene (SH) group. The interventions will last two weeks in which participants will attend 2 classes 1-1.5 hr each over two consecutive weeks. Assessment of the effects of the treatments will be based on self-report outcome measures; participants will complete five questionnaires approximately one week prior to the start of the interventions (pre-treatment) and one week after the second session (post-treatment). The sleep quality assessment questionnaire will be additionally completed after the first session (Week 1).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Selection of subjects will be based on the patients exhibiting sleep disturbance as assessed by a standardized sleep questionnaire. Because we are also interested in the effects of MBBP on co-morbid illnesses besides insomnia, we will include subjects that are being treated for depression, pain, and general medical conditions, except as defined as exclusion criteria. Subjects using anti-depressants, sleep and pain medications, and other medications for any condition that is not under exclusion criteria will be admitted to the study. Thus our inclusion criteria will be broader than those based on DSM-IV for primary insomnia.
2. On the day of the study session, patients must arrive before the session for intervention assignment and to turn in their packets, and thereafter on the same day they must be able to attend a mind-body bridging program or sleep hygiene class (see Study Procedure). In addition, they must also be able to attend the second session the following week.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. The patient presents with significant mental health issues, such as severe psychosis or major depression (as verified by the primary care provider) or the patient is under intensive mental health case management.