Digital Therapy For Insomnia Shows How Technology Can Be Harnessed To Improve Sleep And Mental Health

By guest blogger Jack Barton Technology and screens are supposedly the enemy of health. They ruin our sleep, mental health and we’re slaves to their constant need for attention. At least that’s what seems to be the consensus in the news. However, the reality is much more two-sided. In fact, a new study demonstrates that our blue light emitting devices can be a force for good — by providing a novel way to deliver mental health interventions. Problems with sleep, such as insomnia, have been shown to be associated with mental health difficulties such as depression. Although long recognised as a symptom of depression, there is growing recognition that sleep problems can also emerge before episodes of depression, but it’s currently unclear whether improving sleep is protective against developing depression later on. A recent clinical trial in Sleep by Philip Cheng and colleagues at Henry Ford Health System and the University of Oxford explored just this. They looked at whether using an established digital intervention for insomnia would not only reduce depressive symptoms but also reduce the risk of someone developing depression. The researchers recruited individuals with insomnia and gave them one of two interventions. One group received a digital version of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (dCBTi) that has already been shown to be effective in improving sleep. Specifically, dCBTi involves teaching patients techniques to positively change behaviours (e.g. avoi...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Mental health Sleep and dreaming Technology Source Type: blogs