The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Older Adults

Authors

  • Alexandra Hodder Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
  • Christopher Earle Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada

Abstract

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder encountered in older adults which causes many difficulties in daily life.  Given safety concerns with sedative-hypnotic pharmacotherapy, behavioural treatments including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) are preferred in the elderly. We have provided an updated evidence review of CBT-I in this population. A rapid review of randomized controlled trials evaluating CBT-I interventions in adults aged 60+ was conducted using a search of the databases PubMed and PsycINFO, returning 21 articles for analysis. Specific CBT-I interventions including individual, group, therapist-led, and self-guided formats were evaluated. Trials for novel formats including telehealth CBT-I were also assessed for subgroup analyses involving older adults. Quantitative (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, insomnia severity, etc.) and qualitative (participant feedback, etc.) outcomes were assessed. The research showed steadfast evidence for the effectiveness of CBT-I as the preferred intervention for insomnia disorders in the elderly. It also showed the promising results of self-help, group and virtual modes of delivery of CBT-I which may help alleviate accessibility concerns to the service in the future. This represents a key area for further work to improve access to insomnia interventions in older adults.

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Published

2025-01-17

How to Cite

Hodder, A., & Earle, C. (2025). The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Older Adults . Lithos - The Memorial University Medical Journal, 2(2), 23–33. Retrieved from https://journals.library.mun.ca/index.php/MUNMJ/article/view/2823

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2024): Vol. 2 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Original Research

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