Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Adolescent Psychiatry

Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Adolescent Psychiatry: a Clinical Pilot Study

The study is a clinical pilot study that examine the preliminary effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in adolescents with comorbid psychiatric disorders. Participants (n=25) are recruited from three psychiatric clinics (n=19) and one pediatric pain clinic (n=6). After diagnostic assessment, participants that fulfil inclusion criteria are offered the CBT-I intervention. Pre-post and 3-months follow-up assessments include subjective measures of insomnia symptom severity, sleep parameters (collected through sleep-wake diaries), symptoms of depression and anxiety and daytime functioning.

Inclusion Criteria:

• be between 13-17 years old
• meet criteria for insomnia disorder (primary or secondary insomnia) according to DSM-IV-TR
• have insomnia symptoms at a clinical level, as defined as more than 10 points on the ISI-a
• adequate Swedish language skills

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe psychiatric disorder that is contraindicative of the treatment (i.e., bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder)
• autistic disorder
• severe suicidality (defined as ≥17 points on MINI-kid suicide subscale)
• alcohol or drug dependence
• psychotropic medication
• previous (> 5 sessions) or ongoing CBT-treatment for insomnia