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Long-term effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural self-help intervention for nightmares
Jaap Lancee1, Victor I Spoormaker, Jan van den Bout
1Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.Lancee@uu.nl
Journal of Sleep Research
|December 7, 2010
Summary
Cognitive-behavioural self-help interventions for nightmares, including imagery rehearsal and exposure, demonstrated sustained long-term efficacy. These effective nightmare treatments offer a promising first step in stepped-care models.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Nightmares are a common disorder causing significant daily impairments.
- Cognitive-behavioural self-help interventions have shown short-term effectiveness for nightmare disorder.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the long-term results of imagery rehearsal and exposure interventions for nightmares.
- To evaluate the sustained efficacy of self-help treatments for nightmare disorder over 42 weeks.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial comparing imagery rehearsal and exposure self-help interventions.
- Participants (N=198) received a 6-week intervention and completed assessments at 4, 16, and 42 weeks post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Initial positive effects on nightmare measures were largely maintained at 42 weeks.
- No significant differences in efficacy were observed between imagery rehearsal and exposure therapies.
- Effect sizes ranged from d=0.50-0.70, indicating moderate sustained benefits.
Conclusions:
- Nightmare disorder warrants specific therapeutic targeting.
- Internet-delivered self-help interventions represent a viable and effective first-line treatment option within a stepped-care framework.
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