Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Is Associated with Negligible Change in Subjective and Objective Sleep.

This study examined whether CPT delivered to veterans in a VA setting improved sleep indices using state-of-the-art objective and subjective insomnia measures.Participants: Participants were war veterans with a current PTSD diagnosis scheduled to begin outpatient individual or group CPT at two Veteran's Affairs (VA) locations (n = 37).Methods: Sleep symptom severity was assessed using the recommended research consensus insomnia assessment, the consensus daily sleep diary and actigraphy. PTSD symptomatology pre- and post-treatment were assessed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale.Results: A small to moderate benefit was observed for the change in PTSD symptoms across treatment (ESRMC = .43). Effect sizes for changes on daily sleep diary and actigraphy variables after CPT were found to be negligible (Range ESRMC = - .16 to .17). Sleep indices remained at symptomatic clinical levels post-treatment.Discussion: These findings support previous research demonstrating a need for independent clinical attention to address insomnia either before, during, or after PTSD treatment. PMID: 31739686 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Behavioral Sleep Medicine - Category: Sleep Medicine Authors: Tags: Behav Sleep Med Source Type: research