Pain in your day? Get sleep treatment anyway! The role of pain in insomnia treatment efficacy in women veterans.

Insomnia and pain disorders are among the most common conditions affecting United States adults and veterans, and their comorbidity can cause detrimental effects to quality of life among other factors. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and related behavioural therapies are recommended treatments for insomnia, but chronic pain may hinder treatment benefit. Prior research has not addressed how pain impacts the effects of behavioural insomnia treatment in United States women veterans. Using data from a comparative effectiveness clinical trial of two insomnia behavioural treatments (both including sleep restriction, stimulus control, and sleep hygiene education), we examined the impact of pain severity and pain interference on sleep improvements from baseline to post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. We found no significant moderation effects of pain severity or interference in the relationship between treatment phase and sleep outcomes. Findings highlight opportunities for using behavioural sleep interventions in patients, particularly women veterans, with comorbid pain and insomnia, and highlight areas for future research.

A non-inferiority randomized controlled trial comparing behavioral sleep interventions in women veterans: An examination of pain outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Insomnia is known to exacerbate pain symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to compare the secondary effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) against a novel treatment for insomnia called acceptance and behavioral changes for insomnia (ABC-I) among individuals with comorbid pain. Differences in the potential mechanisms through which these treatments impact pain were also examined. METHODS: Data consisted of a secondary analysis from a randomized comparative effectiveness trial of CBT-I and ABC-I among women veterans with insomnia and comorbid pain. Pain outcomes, beliefs about sleep, and psychological flexibility were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and at three-months follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, 93 women veterans reported comorbid insomnia and pain (mean age = 46.7; 33.3% Black, 24.7% Hispanic/Latina). Both CBT-I (n = 48) and ABC-I (n = 45) were associated with decreased pain intensity (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.41-0.67) and pain interference (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.71-0.77) at post-treatment and three-months follow-up, with results indicating that ABC-I was non-inferior to CBT-I for pain improvement. Both conditions were associated with greater psychological flexibility post-treatment, and CBT-I resulted in larger reductions in dysfunctional beliefs about sleep (p = .01, Cohen's d = 0.59). CONCLUSION: CBT-I and ABC-I both had positive secondary effects on pain with ABC-I being non-inferior to CBT-I with respect to its impact on pain. The mechanisms of change associated with these treatments may differ with CBT-I leading to greater reductions in dysfunctional beliefs. Hybrid treatments which incorporate an acceptance and commitment approach to both insomnia and pain warrant further examination.

Values Expressed by Women Veterans Receiving Treatment for Chronic Insomnia Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Insomnia may contribute to fewer value-consistent choices and less engagement in meaningful life activities. We sought to identify values commonly expressed by women veterans engaged in a trial testing psychological treatment of insomnia disorder. METHODS: Seventy-four women veterans (mean age = 48.3 [±13] years), meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder received an acceptance-based behavioral treatment for insomnia. In the first session, participants responded to questions regarding personal values and the impact of insomnia on those values. Responses were categorized into values domains informed by the Bull's Eye Values survey (level 1 categories) and the Valued Living Questionnaire (level 2 categories). RESULTS: Raters reached 100% agreement after independent coding and adjudication. Level 1 value categories in frequency order were: relationships (n = 68), personal care/health (n = 51), work/education (n = 46), pets (n = 12), and leisure (n = 5). The most frequently reported level 2 value categories were: family (other than marriage/parenting; n = 50), parenting (n = 31), work (n = 31), physical health (n = 30), and spirituality (n = 19). The level 1 value categories impacted by insomnia in frequency order were: personal care/health (n = 65), relationships (n = 58), work/education (n = 46), pets (n = 12), and leisure (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS: Women veterans undergoing insomnia treatment highly value relationships and personal care/health, which should be considered patient-centered outcomes of insomnia treatments. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT02076165.

Novel treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: A randomized comparative effectiveness trial in women veterans.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized comparative effectiveness trial evaluated a novel insomnia treatment using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) among women veterans. Participants received either the acceptance and the behavioral changes to treat insomnia (ABC-I) or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). The primary objectives were to determine whether ABC-I was noninferior to CBT-I in improving sleep and to test whether ABC-I resulted in higher treatment completion and adherence versus CBT-I. METHOD: One hundred forty-nine women veterans with insomnia disorder (Mage = 48.0 years) received ABC-I or CBT-I. The main sleep outcomes were Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and sleep efficiency (SE) by actigraphy (objective) and sleep diary (subjective). Measures were collected at baseline, immediate posttreatment, and 3-month posttreatment follow-up. Treatment completion and adherence were assessed during the interventions. RESULTS: Both interventions improved all sleep outcomes from baseline to immediate posttreatment and 3-month posttreatment follow-up. At immediate posttreatment, ABC-I was statically noninferior for sleep diary SE and objective SE, but noninferiority was not statistically confirmed for ISI or PSQI total scores. At 3-month posttreatment follow-up, ABC-I was noninferior for all four of the key outcome variables. There was not a statistically significant difference between the number of participants who discontinued CBT-I (11%) versus ABC-I (18%; p = .248) before completing treatment. ABC-I was superior to CBT-I for some adherence metrics. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, ABC-I was similar in effectiveness compared to CBT-I for the treatment of insomnia and may improve adherence to some behavioral elements of treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an Adjunct or Alternative Treatment to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.

Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment of insomnia, difficulties exist with adherence to recommendations and premature discontinuation of treatment does occur. The current article aims to review existing research on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based interventions, demonstrate differences and similarities between ACT for insomnia and CBT-I, and describe treatment components and mechanisms of ACT that can be used to treat insomnia disorder.

Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia for Women Veterans with and without Probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the benefits of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia for sleep, mental health symptoms, and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of women veterans with and without probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comorbid with insomnia disorder. METHODS: Seventy-three women veterans (30 with probable PTSD) received a manual-based 5-week cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia treatment as part of a behavioral sleep intervention study. Measures were completed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Sleep measures included the Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sleep efficiency measured by actigraphy, and sleep efficiency and total sleep time measured by sleep diary. Mental health measures included the PTSD Checklist-5, nightmares per week, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. QoL was measured with the Short Form-12. Linear mixed models compared changes over time across groups. Independent t tests examined PTSD symptom changes in women veterans with probable PTSD. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated improvements across sleep (ps < .001-.040), mental health symptoms (ps < .001), and QoL measures (ps < .001). The probable PTSD group reported greater improvements in diary sleep efficiency (p = .046) and nightmares per week (p = .001) at post-treatment and in total sleep time (p = .029) and nightmares per week (p = .006) at follow-up. Most participants with probable PTSD experienced clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms at post-treatment (66.7%) and follow-up (60.0%). Significant reductions in intrusive and arousal/reactivity symptoms were maintained at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia improves insomnia, mental health symptoms, and QoL among women veterans, with greater improvement in those with probable PTSD.

Sleep Disruption Due to Stress in Women Veterans: A Comparison between Caregivers and Noncaregivers.

Objective/Background: Sleep problems are common in women and caregiving for an adult is a common role among women. However, the effects of caregiving on sleep and related daytime impairment are poorly understood among women veterans. This study compared stress-related sleep disturbances, insomnia symptoms, and sleep-related daytime impairment between women veterans who were caregivers and those who did not have a caregiving role. Participants: Of 12,225 women veterans who received care in one Veterans Administration Healthcare System, 1,457 completed data on a postal survey (mean age = 51.7 ± 15.9 years). Two hundred forty three (17%) respondents (mean age 53.8 ± 12.7 years) were caregivers for an adult, predominantly for a parent, providing transportation. Methods: The survey included items that addressed insomnia symptoms, total sleep time, sleep-related daytime impairments, caregiving characteristics, self-rated health, pain, stress, body mass index, and demographic information. Results: In adjusted analyses, caregiver status did not directly predict sleep complaints alone. However, in multiple regression analyses, being a caregiver (odds ratio 1.7, p = .001) significantly predicted stress-related sleep disturbance, even after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other characteristics. Furthermore, being a caregiver (ß = 3.9, p = .031) significantly predicted more symptoms of sleep-related daytime impairment after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other factors. Conclusions: Compared to noncaregivers, women veterans who were caregivers for an adult were more likely to report stress causing poor sleep, and more daytime impairment due to poor sleep. These findings suggest the need to target stress and other factors when addressing sleep disturbance among women veterans who are caregivers.

Development of a dyadic sleep intervention for Alzheimer's disease patients and their caregivers.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to refine a behavioral sleep intervention program targeting patients with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. METHODS: In this case series, key components of the sleep program were built upon previous intervention studies of patients with cognitive impairment/dementia. The intervention consisted of five weekly sessions covering sleep hygiene, sleep compression, stimulus control, daily walking/light exposure, relaxation/mindfulness, and caregiver training to manage patients' behavioral problems. The materials and structure were iteratively refined based on feedback from caregivers and sleep educators. Sleep diaries were used to evaluate sleep outcomes. RESULTS: Five out of six enrolled dyads completed the sessions. Several revisions were made during testing: the last session was changed from telephone to in-person; some components (e.g., sleep scheduling, mindfulness) were rearranged within or across sessions; sleep educator guidelines for sleep scheduling, light exposure, and walking were revised. After the fifth dyad, no additional issues were identified by the caregiver or the sleep educator. Four patients and three caregivers had improved sleep at the last session. CONCLUSIONS: The iterative refinement process was successful in finalizing the intervention program, with evidence of sleep improvements. Formal pilot testing of the program will provide further information on feasibility and effectiveness.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONOur dyadic behavioral sleep program can be tailored to various types of sleep problems among patients with Alzheimer's disease and their family caregivers, with the goal of improving daytime function by reducing sleep disturbances at night.Caregiver training and participation of both members of the dyad in sleep management may benefit the patients' sleep and other health outcomes, reduce caregiver stress and burden, and ultimately delay or prevent institutionalization of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Insomnia Precipitating Events among Women Veterans: The Impact of Traumatic and Nontraumatic Events on Sleep and Mental Health Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: The current study describes insomnia precipitating events reported by women Veterans and examines differences in sleep and psychological distress variables in those who endorsed traumatic, nontraumatic, or no insomnia precipitating events. PARTICIPANTS: Baseline data were collected from 347 women Veterans enrolled in a behavioral sleep intervention study (NCT02076165). METHODS: Participants completed self-report measures of insomnia symptoms, sleep quality, sleep efficiency (SE), nightmare frequency, and depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms; SE was also assessed by wrist actigraphy. Participants responded to 2 open-ended questions assessing stressful life events and health changes that coincided with insomnia symptom onset. Responses were coded as traumatic, nontraumatic, and no events. Analyses of covariance examined the effect of insomnia precipitating event type on sleep and psychological symptom variables after controlling for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Overall, 25.80% of participants endorsed traumatic events, 65.80% endorsed only nontraumatic events, and 8.41% endorsed no events. Participants who endorsed traumatic events reported more severe insomnia (p = .003), PTSD (p = .001), and depression symptoms (p = .012), and poorer quality of sleep (p = .042) than participants who endorsed no events. Participants who endorsed traumatic events reported more severe PTSD symptoms (p = .004), a longer duration of sleep problems (p = .001), and poorer quality of sleep (p = .039) than participants who endorsed nontraumatic events. Participants who endorsed nontraumatic events reported more severe insomnia (p = .029) and PTSD (p = .049) symptoms than participants who endorsed no events. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma as a precipitant for insomnia may be related to higher symptom severity in women Veterans. Implications for treatment engagement and effectiveness remain unstudied.

Concreteness of idiographic worry and anticipatory processing.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Worry and anticipatory processing are forms of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) that are associated with maladaptive characteristics and negative consequences. One key maladaptive characteristic of worry is its abstract nature (Goldwin & Behar, 2012; Stöber & Borkovec, 2002). Several investigations have relied on inductions of worry that are social-evaluative in nature, which precludes distinctions between worry and RNT about social-evaluative situations. The present study examined similarities and distinctions between worry and anticipatory processing on potentially important maladaptive characteristics. METHODS: Participants (N = 279) engaged in idiographic periods of uninstructed mentation, worry, and anticipatory processing and provided thought samples during each minute of each induction. Thought samples were assessed for concreteness, degree of verbal-linguistic activity, and degree of imagery-based activity. RESULTS: Both worry and anticipatory processing were characterized by reduced concreteness, increased abstraction of thought over time, and a predominance of verbal-linguistic activity. However, worry was more abstract, more verbal-linguistic, and less imagery-based relative to anticipatory processing. Finally, worry demonstrated reductions in verbal-linguistic activity over time, whereas anticipatory processing demonstrated reductions in imagery-based activity over time. LIMITATIONS: Worry was limited to non-social topics to distinguish worry from anticipatory processing, and may not represent worry that is social in nature. Generalizability may also be limited by use of an undergraduate sample. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present study provide support for Stöber's theory regarding the reduced concreteness of worry, and suggest that although worry and anticipatory processing share some features, they also contain characteristics unique to each process.

Examining the Relationship Between Worry and Sleep: A Daily Process Approach.

There is growing evidence suggesting that worry and sleep are intimately linked. However, the relationship between these two phenomena over the course of a day remains largely unstudied. It is possible that (a) worry predicts sleep disturbance that night, (b) sleep disturbance predicts worry the following day, or (c) there is a bidirectional relationship between worry and sleep disturbance. The present study examined the daily relationship between worry (both during the day and immediately prior to sleep onset) and sleep in 50 high trait worriers who were randomly assigned to one of two interventions aimed at reducing worry as part of a larger study. A daily process approach was utilized wherein participants completed daily reports of sleep and worry during a 7-day baseline period followed by a 14-day intervention period. Results of repeated measures multilevel modeling analyses indicated that worry experienced on a particular day predicted increased sleep disturbance that night during both the baseline and intervention weeks. However, there was no evidence of a bidirectional relationship as sleep characteristics did not predict worry the following day. Additionally, the type of intervention that participants engaged in did not affect the daily relationship between worry and sleep. Results of the present study are consistent with the cognitive model of insomnia (Harvey, 2002) and highlight the importance of addressing and treating worry among individuals with high trait worry and sleep disturbance.

The Effects of Transdiagnostic Group CBT for Anxiety on Insomnia Symptoms.

Insomnia is a common feature among individuals with anxiety disorders. Studies of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety report moderate effects on concomitant insomnia symptoms, but further research is still needed especially toward understanding how CBT for anxiety renders beneficial effects on insomnia. The current study examined changes in insomnia symptoms reported by 51 Veterans who participated in a group-based transdiagnostic CBT for anxiety intervention. In addition, insomnia symptoms were examined in relation to symptoms of general distress (GD), anhedonic depression (AD), and anxious arousal (AA) pre- to post-treatment. Results revealed a small, though statistically significant (p < .05) beneficial effect on insomnia symptoms. When changes in GD, AD, and AA were simultaneously examined in relation to changes in insomnia, change in AA was the only significant predictor of insomnia symptoms. The current study highlights the role of AA in the relationship between anxiety disorders and insomnia and demonstrates that reductions in insomnia during transdiagnostic CBT for anxiety can be largely attributed to changes in AA.

Biomarkers of threat and reward sensitivity demonstrate unique associations with risk for psychopathology.

Two emotional/motivational constructs that have been posited to underlie anxiety and depressive disorders are heightened sensitivity to threat and reduced sensitivity to reward, respectively. It is unclear, though, whether these constructs are only epiphenomena or also connote risk for these disorders (and relatedly, whether they connote risk for separate disorders). Using family history of psychopathology as an indicator of risk, the present study examined whether biomarkers of sensitivity to threat (startle potentiation) and reward (frontal EEG asymmetry) were associated with similar or different familial liabilities. In addition, the present study examined whether these biomarkers were associated with risk independent of proband DSM-IV diagnosis. One-hundred and seventy-three individuals diagnosed with panic disorder (PD), early onset major depressive disorder (MDD), both (comorbids), or controls completed two laboratory paradigms assessing sensitivity to predictable/unpredictable threat (measured via startle response) and reward (measured via frontal EEG asymmetry during a gambling task). Results indicated that across all participants: (a) startle potentiation to unpredictable threat was associated with family history of PD (but not MDD); and (b) frontal EEG asymmetry while anticipating reward was associated with family history of MDD (but not PD). Additionally, both measures continued to be associated with family history of psychopathology after controlling for proband DSM-IV diagnosis. Results suggest that the proposed biomarkers of sensitivity to unpredictable threat and reward exhibit discriminant validity and may add to the predictive validity of the DSM-IV defined constructs of PD and MDD, respectively.

Association between respiratory sinus arrhythmia and reductions in startle responding in three independent samples.

Evidence suggests that respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may be an important indicator of physiological flexibility. However, few studies have examined the relation between RSA and defensive habituation, a process contingent on physiological flexibility. In three independent samples, habituation was defined as the time course of 9 startle responses. In Sample one and two, startle was recorded (1) while shock electrodes were attached to participants' and (2) before a threat-of-shock task. In Sample three, startle was recorded without these two components. In the first two samples, startle magnitude significantly decreased over time but in Sample three, startle only decreased at a trend level. Further, low RSA was associated with less of a reduction in startle magnitude over time within the first two samples, but was unrelated to startle reduction in the third. This suggests that low RSA is associated with less habituation to contextual anxiety, which may reflect difficulties regulating anxiety.

A preliminary investigation of stimulus control training for worry: effects on anxiety and insomnia.

For individuals with generalized anxiety disorder, worry becomes associated with numerous aspects of life (e.g., time of day, specific stimuli, environmental cues) and is thus under poor discriminative stimulus control (SC). In addition, excessive worry is associated with anxiety, depressed mood, and sleep difficulties. This investigation sought to provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of SC procedures in reducing anxiety-, mood-, and sleep-related symptoms. A total of 53 participants with high trait worry were randomly assigned to receive 2 weeks of either SC training (consisting of a 30-min time- and place-restricted worry period each day) or a control condition called focused worry (FW; consisting of instructions to not avoid naturally occurring worry so that worry and anxiety would not paradoxically increase). At post-training, SC was superior to FW in producing reductions on measures of worry, anxiety, negative affect, and insomnia, but not on measures of depression or positive affect. Moreover, SC was superior to FW in producing clinically significant change on measures of worry and anxiety. Results provide preliminary support for the use of SC training techniques in larger treatment packages for individuals who experience high levels of worry.

A psychophysiological investigation of threat and reward sensitivity in individuals with panic disorder and/or major depressive disorder.

Heightened sensitivity to threat and reduced sensitivity to reward are potential mechanisms of dysfunction in anxiety and depressive disorders, respectively. However, few studies have simultaneously examined whether these mechanisms are unique or common to these disorders. In this study, sensitivity to predictable and unpredictable threat (measured by startle response during threat anticipation) and sensitivity to reward (measured by frontal electroencephalographic [EEG] asymmetry during reward anticipation) were assessed in 4 groups (N = 191): those with (1) panic disorder (PD) without a lifetime history of depression, (2) major depression (MDD) without a lifetime history of an anxiety disorder, (3) comorbid PD and MDD, and (4) controls. General distress/negative temperament (NT) was also assessed via self-report. Results indicated that PD (with or without comorbid MDD) was uniquely associated with heightened startle to predictable and unpredictable threat, and MDD (with or without comorbid PD) was uniquely associated with reduced frontal EEG asymmetry. Both psychophysiological measures of threat and reward sensitivity were stable on retest approximately 9 days later in a subsample of participants. Whereas the comorbid group did not respond differently on the tasks relative to the PD-only and MDD-only groups, they did report greater NT than these 2 groups (which did not differ from each other). Results suggest that heightened sensitivity to threat and reduced sensitivity to reward may be specific components of PD and MDD, respectively. In addition, relative to noncomorbid depression and PD, comorbid MDD and PD may be characterized by heightened NT, but not abnormal levels of these "specific" components.

The predictive power of depression screening procedures for veterans with coronary artery disease.

Depression leads to a worse outcome for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Thus, accurately identifying depression in CAD patients is imperative. In many veterans affairs (VA) hospitals, patients are screened for depression once a year using the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Although the PHQ-9 is generally considered a specific and sensitive measure of depression, there is reason to believe that these screening procedures may miss a large number of cases of depression within CAD patients and cardiology patients more generally. The goal of this study was to provide data as to the predictive power of this depression screening procedure by (a) comparing the prevalence rate of depression identified by the PHQ-9 to known prevalence rates and (b) examining whether patients identified as "depressed" also had conditions that consistently co-occur with depression (eg, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], other medical issues). Participants were 813 consecutive patients who received an angiogram in the cardiac catheterization laboratory at a large VA Medical Center. Prevalence of depression was 6.9% in the overall sample and less than 6% when the sample was restricted to CAD patients with significant stenosis. Depression was significantly associated with PTSD, smoking, and alcohol problems. However, depression was not associated with other medical problems such as diabetes, renal failure, peripheral vascular disease, or anemia. In conclusion, the low prevalence rate of depression and lack of associations with comorbid medical problems may suggest that the VA's depression screening procedures have low sensitivity for identifying depression in CAD patients. It is recommended that clinicians treating CAD regularly screen for depression and do not rely on archival depression screens.

Concreteness of positive, negative, and neutral repetitive thinking about the future.

Consistent with assertions that the adaptiveness of repetitive thinking is influenced by both its valence and style, Stöber (e.g., Stöber & Borkovec, 2002) has argued that worry is characterized by a reduced concreteness of thought content and that the resulting abstractness contributes to its inhibition of some aspects of anxious responding. However, extant research does not provide a direct test of Stöber's reduced concreteness theory of worry. We sought to test Stöber's theory and to examine the adaptiveness of repetitive worrisome thinking by randomly assigning 108 participants to engage in five consecutive periods of repetitive thinking about positively, negatively, or neutrally valenced potential future events. Results based on coding of thought data indicated that (a) repetitive thinking became increasingly less concrete as periods progressed; (b) contrary to Stöber's theory, both negative and positive repetitive future thinking were more concrete than neutral repetitive future thinking (and did not differ from each other); and (c) abstractness of thought during negative repetitive future thinking was associated with reduced reports of imagery-based activity. Results based on self-reported affect indicated that negatively valenced repetitive future thinking was uniquely associated with initial decreases in anxious affect, followed by increased anxious affect that coincided with increased imagery-based activity. This suggests that worry is associated with a sequential mitigation of anxious meaning followed by a strengthening of anxious meaning over time. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.