Developing a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia Intervention for Adolescents With Co-Morbid Mental Health...

Area of Science:

• Adolescent mental health
• Sleep science
• Clinical psychology

Background:

• Insomnia is common in adolescents with mental health conditions but often undertreated.
• Existing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBTi) guidelines are for adults, lacking adolescent-specific adaptations.
• Limited research exists on treating insomnia in adolescents with co-occurring mental health problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tailored Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBTi) intervention for adolescents with co-morbid mental health issues.
• To define the target population, intervention components, and delivery methods through expert consensus.

Main Methods:

• An iterative expert consultation process was employed.
• Eighteen experts were identified; seven participated across three rounds of questionnaires.
• The process involved refining intervention content, format, delivery, and parent involvement.

Main Results:

• Experts agreed CBTi is suitable for early-to-mid adolescents with anxiety/depression.
• The intervention content and delivery (in-person, by trained practitioners) were deemed appropriate with necessary adaptations.
• Parent/caregiver involvement was identified as crucial for intervention success.

Conclusions:

• A novel 4-week CBTi intervention for adolescents with co-morbid mental health problems was developed.
• The intervention includes session materials and a training package for non-sleep experts.
• This represents the first use of iterative expert consultation to create such an intervention for this population.