The clinical effect of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in subgroups with depressive and anxiety symptoms: A secondary analysis of a randomized–controlled trial

Abstract

SummaryInsomnia is a highly prevalent mental disorder, and is often co‐occurring with depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia as treatment of choice for insomnia can also be applied digitally (digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia), making it more accessible. This is a secondary data analysis of a two‐armed parallel randomized–controlled trial. In the primary publication, N = 238 participants meeting criteria for the 5th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders chronic insomnia disorder were randomly assigned to either 8 weeks of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia + treatment‐as‐usual, or waitlist + treatment‐as‐usual. To determine the clinical effects of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in populations with comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms, this secondary analysis focused on two subgroups: (1) participants with high initial depressive symptoms; and (2) participants with high initial anxiety symptoms. Symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety as primary outcome measures were obtained at baseline, 8 weeks post‐randomization and, in the intervention group only, at 6‐ and 12‐months follow‐up. At 8 weeks post‐randomization, the use of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in both subgroups was associated with large reductions in insomnia severity in comparison to control (depression subgroup: d = 2.37; anxiety subgroup: d = 2.13). Between‐group treatment effects were also observed for symptoms of depression in the depression subgroup (d = 1.59), and for symptoms of anxiety in the anxiety subgroup (d = 1.28). Within‐group effects were stable over time (d = 0.64–1.63). This secondary analysis shows that digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia reduces insomnia and comorbid symptoms in participants with high initial symptoms of either depression or anxiety with sustained long‐term effects.