Evidence-based psychological treatments for insomnia in older adults

Abstract

The review describes evidence-based psychological treatments (EBTs) for insomnia in older adults. Following coding procedures developed by the American Psychological Association's Committee on Science and Practice of the Society for Clinical Psychology, two treatments were found to meet EBT criteria: sleep restriction-sleep compression therapy and multicomponent cognitive-behavioral therapy. One additional treatment (stimulus control therapy) partially met criteria, but further corroborating studies are needed. At the present time, there is insufficient evidence to consider other psychological treatments, including cognitive therapy, relaxation, and sleep hygiene education, as stand-alone interventions beneficial for treating insomnia in older adults. Additional research is also needed to examine the efficacy of alternative-complementary therapies, such as bright light therapy, exercise, and massage. This review highlights potential problems with using coding procedures proposed in the EBT coding manual when reviewing the existing insomnia literature. In particular, the classification of older adults as persons age 60 and older and the lack of rigorous consideration of medical comorbidities warrant discussion in the future.