Sleep problems and referral intentions in mental health services: service user self-report and staff proxy report surveys.

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems are common in mental health service users, but few non-pharmacological therapies are offered. Therapies are being developed and tested, but there may be barriers to these therapies reaching those who need them. METHODS: Light-Dark and Activity Rhythm Therapy (L-DART), is a new sleep therapy delivered by an occupational therapist, which has been feasibility tested in people with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses. This paper presents two surveys, conducted with mental health staff and service users, on sleep problems, treatment wishes; and barriers and facilitators to uptake of L-DART or similar therapies. Descriptive statistics, single-level and multi-level ordinal logistic regression were used to examine factors associated with sleep problems and referral intentions. FINDINGS: Sleep problems were commonly identified by staff and service users, there was demand for non-pharmacological intervention across diagnostic and demographic categories, but staff readiness to refer differed according to NHS Trust and service user diagnosis. Staff and service user reports differed in awareness of sleep disordered breathing and parasomnias, and wish for referral. Staff were more confident identifying sleep problems than addressing them, but more training was associated with greater confidence concerning both assessment and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A range of sleep problems are prevalent and recognised in mental health service users, and there is an unmet need for non-pharmacological sleep interventions. Improving suitable resources to support self-management in this group may help; Staff and service users also reported a high readiness to refer or be referred for sleep interventions. Staff training to improve identification of sleep problems, and differentiation between types of sleep problems, would support access to the most appropriate treatments.

A mixed methods expert opinion study on the optimal content and format for an occupational therapy intervention to improve sleep in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

INTRODUCTION: People with schizophrenia spectrum disorder diagnoses commonly have poor sleep, which predicts various negative outcomes. The problems are diverse, including substantial circadian dysregulation, sleep-wake timing issues, hypersomnia (excessive sleep), and more classic insomnia. METHODS: This paper reports on a mixed methods expert opinion study based on the principles of Delphi methodology. The study examines and explores opinion on the optimal contents and format for an occupational therapy intervention to improve poor sleep in this population. Views of clinical and academic topic experts (n = 56), were elicited, examined and explored in three rounds, views from previous rounds being presented back to participants in subsequent rounds. Participants with relevant personal experience (n = 26) then rated and commented on suggestions, with a focus on acceptability. Descriptive statistics and graphs of ratings were triangulated with qualitative content analysis of free-text. RESULTS: Participants emphasised the central importance of intervention personalisation, although the manner and extent of personalisation suggested varied. Many components and domains were acknowledged as important, with the challenge being how to keep such an intervention simple, brief, and feasible for end-users, for sustainable implementation. The strongest consensus was to address evening routine, daytime activity, and environmental interventions. Relaxation, mindfulness, thermoregulation, sensory factors, and cognitive or psychological approaches were rated as less important. There was disagreement on whether to include time in bed restriction, and how to address napping, as well as how far to address medication timing. Clinicians and researchers advocated some version of stimulus control, but participants with personal experience reported low levels of acceptability for this, describing entirely negative experiences using 'the 15-minute rule' (part of stimulus control). CONCLUSION: These results are informative for clinicians treating sleep problems in people with schizophrenia and related conditions, as well as for decision makers considering the potential contribution of the profession of occupational therapy toward sleep treatment.

Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disturbance in Remitted Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances in schizophrenia are common, but incompletely characterized. We aimed to describe and compare the magnitude and heterogeneity of sleep-circadian alterations in remitted schizophrenia and compare them with those in interepisode bipolar disorder. METHODS: EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO were searched for case-control studies reporting actigraphic parameters in remitted schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Standardized and absolute mean differences between patients and controls were quantified using Hedges' g, and patient-control differences in variability were quantified using the mean-scaled coefficient of variation ratio (CVR). A wald-type test compared effect sizes between disorders. RESULTS: Thirty studies reporting on 967 patients and 803 controls were included. Compared with controls, both schizophrenia and bipolar groups had significantly longer total sleep time (mean difference [minutes] [95% confidence interval {CI}] = 99.9 [66.8, 133.1] and 31.1 [19.3, 42.9], respectively), time in bed (mean difference = 77.8 [13.7, 142.0] and 50.3 [20.3, 80.3]), but also greater sleep latency (16.5 [6.1, 27.0] and 2.6 [0.5, 4.6]) and reduced motor activity (standardized mean difference [95% CI] = -0.86 [-1.22, -0.51] and -0.75 [-1.20, -0.29]). Effect sizes were significantly greater in schizophrenia compared with the bipolar disorder group for total sleep time, sleep latency, and wake after sleep onset. CVR was significantly elevated in both diagnoses for total sleep time, time in bed, and relative amplitude. CONCLUSIONS: In both disorders, longer overall sleep duration, but also disturbed initiation, continuity, and reduced motor activity were found. Common, modifiable factors may be associated with these sleep-circadian phenotypes and advocate for further development of transdiagnostic interventions that target them.

Adherence and acceptability of light therapies to improve sleep in intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep disorders and neuropsychiatric illness: a systematic review.

Sleep problems and circadian misalignment affect health and well-being and are highly prevalent in those with co-morbid neuropsychiatric disorders. Interventions altering light exposure patterns of affected individuals are a promising non-pharmacological treatment option, shown by previous meta-analyses to improve sleep, and often described as minimally invasive. To best translate laboratory-based mechanistic research into effective treatments, acceptability and barriers to adherence should be understood, but these have not yet been systematically evaluated. Here, we examined evidence regarding adherence and acceptability in studies of light or dark interventions using various delivery devices and protocols to improve sleep in intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders and neuropsychiatric illness. Attrition during intervention was low, and reported experiences were largely positive, but measurement and reporting of self-reported experiences, expectations, and adverse effects were poor. Approaches to management and measurement of adherence were varied, and available light monitoring technology appeared under-exploited, as did mobile technology to prompt or track adherence. Based on these findings we suggest recommended reporting items on acceptability and adherence for future investigations. Few studies assessed baseline light exposure patterns, and few personalised interventions. Overall, many applied studies exhibited an approach to light schedule interventions still reminiscent of laboratory protocols; this is unlikely to maximise acceptability and clinical effectiveness. For the next phase of translational research, user acceptability and adherence should receive increased attention during intervention design and study design. We suggest framing light therapies as complex interventions, and emphasise the occupationally embedded (daily activity routine embedded) context in which they occur.

Light therapies to improve sleep in intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep disorders and neuro-psychiatric illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Circadian dysregulation causes sleep disturbance and impacts quality of life and functioning. Some interventions target circadian entrainment through modifying light exposure, but existing reviews of light interventions for sleep improvement include few studies in psychiatric populations. We examined effect of light interventions on sleep quality, duration and timing, and effect moderators. We included controlled studies in intrinsic circadian rhythm disorders (such as advanced or delayed sleep) and in neuropsychiatric disorders with assumed high prevalence of circadian dysregulation (such as affective and psychotic disorders). Articles were identified through database searching: 40 studies reporting 49 relevant intervention comparisons met inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed improvements in sleep continuity (ES = -0.23, p = 0.000), self-reported sleep disturbance (ES = -0.32, p = 0.014), and advancement of delayed sleep timing (ES = -0.34, p = 0.010). Although the small number of studies limited meta-regression, evening light avoidance was associated with greater increase in total sleep time. Effects of light on sleep and circadian outcomes have received limited attention in studies in psychiatric disorders, but results were promising in these groups. These findings invite further refinement and testing of light interventions to improve sleep in psychiatric disorders, with improved assessment and specification of problems, and the development and implementation of light schedule interventions for delayed sleep.