Application of solution focused brief therapy in insomnia

Abstract

Insomnia is characterized by high prevalence, high recurrence rate and procrastination, it has become a severe health burden in the world. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is a gold standard for insomnia treatment, however, the effectiveness has been hindered because of low attendance rate and poor adherence. Emotional-oriented coping styles are commonly seen in insomniacs, which means they have a higher response to stress than the normal. Developing a healthier coping style to solve sleep problems is superior to being embroiled in the insomnia-related negative emotions. Solution focused brief therapy is an strengths-based, future-focused cost-effective psychotherapeutic model with clear framework and brief operation. It can be used as an beneficial supplement for primary psychotherapy, crisis intervention even pharmacotherapy. Scaling questions, pre-supositional questions and miracle questions are often used at the first interview to boost insomniacs to make decisions about change. Relationship questions, exception questions, coping questions and first sign are frequently used when constructing solutions of solving insomnia problems. Normalizing, cheerleading and compliment are techniques to empower patients. Key words: Sleep initiation and maintenance disorders; Solution focused brief therapy; Psychological treatment