Comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for pain, and hybrid cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and pain in individuals with comorbid insomnia and chronic pain: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Abstract

Considering that insomnia and chronic pain are often comorbid, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), cognitive behavioral therapy for pain (CBT-P), and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and pain (CBT-IP) in individuals with comorbid insomnia and chronic pain. We used PubMed, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and Web of Science for our literature search. The outcomes included sleep, pain, disability, and depression at post-treatment and follow-up (3–12 months). Sixteen randomized controlled trials with 1094 participants were included. In the Bayesian network meta-analysis, CBT-I [standard mean difference (SMD) = −0.99, 95% credible interval (CrI) = −1.50 to −0.54] and CBT-IP (SMD = −0.70, 95% CrI = −1.60 to −0.08) were significantly more effective than the control for sleep at post-treatment. Additionally, CBT-I was significantly more effective than the control for pain, disability, and depression at post-treatment and sleep at follow-up. However, there were no significant differences in effectiveness between CBT-P and the control for any outcomes. Thus, CBT-I might be the most effective treatment option for individuals with comorbid insomnia and chronic pain. However, given the small sample sizes and high risk of bias of the included studies, these results must be interpreted with caution.