0476 A Mobile App-Based Behavioral Intervention for Insomnia Among College Students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Nearly 60% of college students suffer from poor sleep quality and 7.7% of students meet criteria for a sleep disorder (Schlarb et al., 2017). The most common of these sleep disorders is insomnia. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the frontline treatment for insomnia. The time and cost of CBT-I, however, has limited overall treatment uptake, especially among individuals with less severe symptom profiles or who are otherwise relatively healthy (e.g., college students). The goal of this study is to pilot-test a mobile application version of CBT-I (i.e., CBT-I Coach) to evaluate its effectiveness in treating insomnia symptoms among college students. The testing will also demonstrate the feasibility of using a CBT-I app for insomnia symptom treatment. Methods The study uses a between- and within-subjects design to assess biweekly variations in insomnia symptom severity among college students over a period of 8 weeks. Participants are randomized into the intervention group or a wait-list control group (where they were asked to initiate the intervention after a four-week delay). Participants in both groups are asked to use the CBT-I Coach app daily for 4 weeks. Every two weeks, online surveys are completed to assess sleepiness (via the Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and the insomnia symptom severity (via the Insomnia Severity Index). Results While data collection is ongoing, to-date we have collected data from 17 participants. The mean baseline ISI score was 15.3. Of the 17 participants that completed the baseline, 65% (n=11) filled out the 4-week online survey. The mean ISI score at the 4-week follow-up was 12.7. Ten participants (or 59% of those that completed the baseline) completed the eight-week follow-up survey. Data collection is scheduled to be completed in April 2022, and a full summary of the results will be presented at the APSS conference in Charlotte. Conclusion An effective app-based version of CBT-I has the potential to increase the accessibility of behavioral interventions for sleep to populations that are often missed by healthcare providers. Making CBT-I more available to college students and young adults may also decrease the onset of more chronic forms of insomnia. Support (If Any) N/A