Clinical Feasibility of a Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention App (iREST) as a Behavioral Sleep Treatment in a Military Population: Feasibility Comparative Effectiveness Study

Optimizing an adaptive digital oral health intervention for promoting oral self-care behaviors: Micro-randomized trial protocol

Dental disease continues to be one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the United States. Although oral self-care behaviors (OSCB), involving systematic twice-a-day tooth brushing, can prevent dental disease, this basic behavior is not sufficiently practiced. Recent advances in digital technology offer tremendous potential for promoting OSCB by delivering Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs)- interventions that leverage dynamic information about the person's state and context to effectively prompt them to engage in a desired behavior in real-time, real-world settings. However, limited research attention has been given to systematically investigating how to best prompt individuals to engage in OSCB in daily life, and under what conditions prompting would be most beneficial. This paper describes the protocol for a Micro-Randomized Trial (MRT) to inform the development of a JITAI for promoting ideal OSCB, namely, brushing twice daily, for two minutes each time, in all four dental quadrants (i.e., 2x2x4). Sensors within an electric toothbrush (eBrush) will be used to track OSCB and a matching mobile app (Oralytics) will deliver on-demand feedback and educational information. The MRT will micro-randomize participants twice daily (morning and evening) to either (a) a prompt (push notification) containing one of several theoretically grounded engagement strategies or (b) no prompt. The goal is to investigate whether, what type of, and under what conditions prompting increases engagement in ideal OSCB. The results will build the empirical foundation necessary to develop an optimized JITAI that will be evaluated relative to a suitable control in a future randomized controlled trial.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Self-Management Mobile Apps: A Review of Efficacy and Quality

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended treatment for insomnia, yet multiple barriers limit utilization. Digital CBT-I may present a solution, though related reviews have focused on Internet-based delivery rather than app use. The high utilization of health apps and prevalence of sleep apps indicate the need to equip clinicians with app-specific research. Toward this end, we reviewed efficacy and quality data on self-management CBT-I smartphone apps, revealing efficacy research on eleven apps, five of which were publicly available. While preliminary, these efficacy studies showed consistent positive findings. When examining quantitative quality indicators for the five publicly available apps, two had consistent data. Overall, two apps, CBTi Coach and Insomnia Coach, had positive, empirical findings across all efficacy and quality assessment approaches. We provide recommendations to guide clinician decision making regarding CBT-I self-management apps based on the literature and publicly available methods of app evaluations.

Digital CBTI hubs as a treatment augmentation strategy in military clinics: study protocol for a pragmatic randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder among military service members, and it compromises readiness, performance, and physical and mental health. Cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBTI) is the standard of care for the treatment of insomnia recommended by the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American College of Physicians. CBTI is highly effective but has limited scalability. It is often unavailable in clinical settings where service members receive sleep care. Digital technologies offer unique opportunities to scale and broaden the geographic reach of CBTI services and support increased patient access and engagement in behavioral sleep care. This study aims to evaluate the impact and acceptability of digital CBTI hubs to augment military treatment facilities' capabilities in behavioral sleep medicine.

METHODS

This is a multi-site, non-inferiority randomized clinical trial designed to compare the effects of in-person (face-to-face or virtual) insomnia care as usual at three military sleep clinics versus CBTI delivered remotely and asynchronously through digital CBTI hubs. Digital CBTI hubs are led by licensed, certified clinicians who use NOCTEM's® evidence-based clinical decision support platform COAST™ (Clinician Operated Assistive Sleep Technology). Changes in insomnia severity and daytime symptoms of depression and anxiety will be compared at baseline, at 6-8 weeks, and at 3-month follow-up. Patient satisfaction with insomnia care as usual versus digital CBTI hubs will also be examined. We hypothesize that digital CBTI hubs will be non-inferior to insomnia care as usual for improvements in insomnia and daytime symptoms as well as patient satisfaction with insomnia care.

DISCUSSION

Digital technology has a high potential to scale CBTI accessibility and delivery options required to meet the insomnia care needs of military service members. Digital CBTI hubs using COAST offer a novel approach to broaden service members' access to CBTI and to serve as an augmentation strategy for existing sleep services at military treatment facilities. The pragmatic approach leveraging technology in this trial has the potential to rapidly inform clinical practice within the Defense Health Agency as well as other healthcare systems.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05490550. Registered on 14 July 2023.

Reduction of Sleep Medications via a Combined Digital Insomnia and Pharmacist-Led Deprescribing Intervention: Protocol for a Feasibility Trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic insomnia is one of the most common health problems among veterans and negatively impacts their health, function, and quality of life. Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line recommended treatment, sedative-hypnotic medications remain the most common. Sedative-hypnotics, however, have mixed effectiveness, are frequently prescribed longer than recommended, and are associated with numerous risks and adverse effects that negatively impact veteran function. Meeting the treatment needs of veterans impacted by insomnia requires delivering gold standard behavioral care, like CBT-I, and the reduction of sedative-hypnotics through innovative methods.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this feasibility clinical trial is to test a digital CBT-I approach combined with deprescribing to improve the success of sedative-hypnotic reduction among veterans. The intervention combines Noctem Health Clinician Operated Assistive Sleep Technology (COAST), an effective and efficient, scalable, and adaptable digital platform to deliver CBT-I, with clinical pharmacy practitioner (CPP)-led deprescribing of sedative-hypnotic medications.

METHODS

In this nonrandomized single-group clinical trial, 50 veterans will be recruited and enrolled to receive CBT-I delivered via Noctem COAST and CPP-led deprescribing for up to 12 weeks. Assessments will occur at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. The aims are to (1) assess the feasibility of recruiting veterans with chronic sedative-hypnotic use to participate in the combined intervention, (2) evaluate veterans' acceptability and usability of the COAST platform, and (3) measure changes in veterans' sleep, sedative-hypnotic use, and function at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up.

RESULTS

The institutional review board approved the study in October 2021 and the trial was initiated in May 2022. Recruitment and data collection began in September 2022 and is anticipated to be completed in April 2024. Aim 1 will be measured by tracking the response to a mail-centric recruitment approach using electronic medical records to identify potentially eligible veterans based on sedative-hypnotic use. Aim 2 will be measured using the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire, assessing overall usability as well as system usefulness, information quality, and interface quality. Aim 3 will use the Insomnia Severity Index and sleep diaries to measure change in insomnia outcomes, the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Profile to measure change in physical function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, participation in social roles, pain, cognitive function, and self-reported sedative-hypnotic use to measure change in dose and frequency of use.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings will inform the utility of a combined digital CBT-I and CPP-led deprescribing intervention and the development of an adequately powered clinical trial to test the effectiveness in a diverse sample of veterans. Further, findings will help inform potential new approaches to deliver care and improve access to care for veterans with insomnia, many of whom use sedative-hypnotics that may be ineffective and increase the risk for negative outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05027438; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05027438.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/47636.

A randomized sham-controlled clinical trial of a novel wearable intervention for trauma-related nightmares in military veterans

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Persistent nightmares are common among individuals exposed to trauma and are especially prevalent among veterans. While behavioral and pharmacological interventions are available, they have demonstrated limited efficacy. Innovations in wearable technology provide a potential avenue to match or exceed these existing treatments by directly targeting nightmare physiology.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized, sham-controlled study to determine the efficacy of a novel wearable device-based application in 65 veterans with impaired sleep secondary to trauma-related nightmares. Changes in measures of sleep quality, posttraumatic stress disorder/depression symptoms, and quality of life across the 30-day trial were compared between the Active and Sham systems.

RESULTS

Both groups demonstrated statistically significant within-person improvement on all measures. While the Active system was generally associated with stronger magnitude of improvement, none of the comparisons of individual measures across conditions reached statistical significance. However, a post-hoc analysis excluding participants with low frequency of usage demonstrated significantly better improvement in perceived sleep quality with the Active device than Sham.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these results provide preliminary evidence that a wearable device may improve self-reported sleep quality for veterans reporting frequent trauma-related nightmares, especially in compliant users.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Traumatic Nightmares Treated by NightWare (To Arouse Not Awaken) (TNT/NW); URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04040387; Identifier: NCT04040387.

CITATION

Davenport ND, Werner JK. A randomized sham-controlled clinical trial of a novel wearable intervention for trauma-related nightmares in military veterans. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(2):361-369.

Recent advances in sleep and depression

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There is increasing interest in the connection between sleep disturbances and mood disorders. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate current research on the role of sleep disturbance in the development of depression, as well as to describe recent advances in treatments that improve both sleep and depression symptoms.

RECENT FINDINGS

Relevant publications included in this review cover a wide range of topics related to sleep and depression. Data from large longitudinal studies suggest that insomnia and evening circadian preference are unique risk factors for depression. Depression treatment studies indicate poorer outcomes for those with comorbid sleep disturbances. A few recent trials of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and triple chronotherapy in unipolar depression have shown promising results.

SUMMARY

Sleep disturbance is a modifiable risk factor in the development and maintenance of depression. In the context of current depression, although the data is mixed, some evidence suggests treating sleep disturbance can improve overall outcomes. Recent evidence also suggests that treating sleep disturbance may prevent the future depressive episodes.

The Implementation of Behavior Change Techniques in mHealth Apps for Sleep: Systematic Review

Background

Mobile health (mHealth) apps targeting health behaviors using behavior change techniques (BCTs) have been successful in promoting healthy behaviors; however, their efficacy with sleep is unclear. Some work has shown success in promoting sleep through mHealth, whereas there have been reports that sleep apps can be adverse and lead to unhealthy obsessions with achieving perfect sleep.

Objective

This study aims to report and describe the use of BCTs in mHealth apps for sleep with the following research questions: How many BCTs are used on average in sleep apps, and does this relate to their effectiveness on sleep outcomes? Are there specific BCTs used more or less often in sleep apps, and does this relate to their effectiveness on sleep outcomes? Does the effect of mHealth app interventions on sleep change when distinguishing between dimension and measurement of sleep?

Methods

We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to review articles on mHealth app interventions for sleep published between 2010 and 2020.

Results

A total of 12 studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies reported positive sleep outcomes, and there were no negative effects reported. Sleep quality was the most common dimension of sleep targeted. Subjective measures of sleep were used across all apps, whereas objective measures were often assessed but rarely reported as part of results. The average number of BCTs used was 7.67 (SD 2.32; range 3-11) of 16. Of the 12 studies, the most commonly used BCTs were feedback and monitoring (n=11, 92%), shaping knowledge (n=11, 92%), goals and planning (n=10, 83%), and antecedents (n=10, 83%), whereas the least common were scheduled consequences (n=0, 0%), self-belief (n=0, 0%), and covert learning (n=0, 0%). Most apps used a similar set of BCTs that unfortunately did not allow us to distinguish which BCTs were present when studies reported more positive outcomes.

Conclusions

Our study describes the peer-reviewed literature on sleep apps and provides a foundation for further examination and optimization of BCTs used in mHealth apps for sleep. We found strong evidence that mHealth apps are effective in improving sleep, and the potential reasons for the lack of adverse sleep outcome reporting are discussed. We found evidence that the type of BCTs used in mHealth apps for sleep differed from other health outcomes, although more research is needed to understand how BCTs can be implemented effectively to improve sleep using mHealth and the mechanisms of action through which they are effective (eg, self-efficacy, social norms, and attitudes).

Digital Technologies for Emotion-Regulation Assessment and Intervention: A Conceptual Review

The ability to regulate emotions in response to stress is central to healthy development. While early research in emotion regulation predominantly employed static, self-report measurement, the past decade has seen a shift in focus toward understanding the dynamic nature of regulation processes. This is reflected in recent refinements in the definition of emotion regulation, which emphasize the importance of the ability to flexibly adapt regulation efforts across contexts. The latest proliferation of digital technologies employed in mental health research offers the opportunity to capture the state- and context-sensitive nature of emotion regulation. In this conceptual review, we examine the use of digital technologies (ecological momentary assessment; wearable and smartphone technology, physical activity, acoustic data, visual data, and geo-location; smart home technology; virtual reality; social media) in the assessment of emotion regulation and describe their application to interventions. We also discuss challenges and ethical considerations, and outline areas for future research.

Ecological momentary interventions for mental health: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The development of mobile computing technology has enabled the delivery of psychological interventions while people go about their everyday lives. The original visions of the potential of these "ecological momentary interventions" were presented over a decade ago, and the widespread adoption of smartphones in the intervening years has led to a variety of research studies exploring the feasibility of these aspirations. However, there is a dearth of research describing the different dimensions, characteristics, and features of these interventions, as constructed.

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of the definitions given for "ecological momentary interventions" in the treatment of common mental health disorders, and describe the set of technological and interaction possibilities which have been used in the design of these interventions.

METHODS

A systematic search identified relevant literature published between 2009 and 2020 in the PubMed, PsycInfo, and ACM Guide to the Computing Literature databases. Following screening, data were extracted from eligible articles using a standardized extraction worksheet. Selected articles were then thematically categorized.

RESULTS

The search identified 583 articles of which 64 met the inclusion criteria. The interventions target a range of mental health problems, with diverse aims, intervention designs and evaluation approaches. The studies employed a variety of features for intervention delivery, but recent research is overwhelmingly comprised of studies based on smartphone apps (30 of 42 papers that described an intervention). Twenty two studies employed sensors for the collection of data in order to provide just-in-time support or predict psychological states.

CONCLUSIONS

With the shift towards smartphone apps, the vision for EMIs has begun to be realised. Recent years have seen increased exploration of the use of sensors and machine learning, but the role of humans in the delivery of EMI is also varied. The variety of capabilities exhibited by EMIs motivates development of a more precise vocabulary for capturing both automatic and human tailoring of these interventions.

Framework for the Design Engineering and Clinical Implementation and Evaluation of mHealth Apps for Sleep Disturbance: Systematic Review

Background

Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a scalable option for treating sleep disturbances at a population level. However, there is a lack of clarity about the development and evaluation of evidence-based mHealth apps.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review was to provide evidence for the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of mHealth apps for sleep disturbance.

Methods

A systematic search of studies published from the inception of databases through February 2020 was conducted using 5 databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and CINAHL).

Results

A total of 6015 papers were identified using the search strategy. After screening, 15 papers were identified that examined the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of 8 different mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. Most of these apps delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I, n=4) or modified CBT-I (n=2). Half of the apps (n=4) identified adopting user-centered design or multidisciplinary teams in their design approach. Only 3 papers described user and data privacy. End-user acceptability and engagement were the most frequently assessed implementation metrics. Only 1 app had available evidence assessing all 4 implementation metrics (ie, acceptability, engagement, usability, and adherence). Most apps were prototype versions (n=5), with few matured apps. A total of 6 apps had supporting papers that provided a quantitative evaluation of clinical outcomes, but only 1 app had a supporting, adequately powered randomized controlled trial.

Conclusions

This is the first systematic review to synthesize and examine evidence for the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. The minimal number of apps with published evidence for design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation contrasts starkly with the number of commercial sleep apps available. Moreover, there appears to be no standardization and consistency in the use of best practice design approaches and implementation assessments, along with very few rigorous efficacy evaluations. To facilitate the development of successful and evidence-based apps for sleep disturbance, we developed a high-level framework to guide researchers and app developers in the end-to-end process of app development and evaluation.

Enhancing behavioral sleep care with digital technology: study protocol for a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Insomnia affects almost one in four military service members and veterans. The first-line recommended treatment for insomnia is cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). CBTI is typically delivered in-person or online over one-to-four sessions (brief versions) or five-to-eight sessions (standard versions) by a licensed doctoral or masters-level clinician with extensive training in behavioral sleep medicine. Despite its effectiveness, CBTI has limited scalability. Three main factors inhibit access to and delivery of CBTI including restricted availability of clinical expertise; rigid, resource-intensive treatment formats; and limited capacities for just-in-time monitoring and treatment personalization. Digital technologies offer a unique opportunity to overcome these challenges by providing scalable, personalized, resource-sensitive, adaptive, and cost-effective approaches for evidence-based insomnia treatment.

METHODS

This is a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness randomized trial using a scalable evidence-based digital health software platform, NOCTEM™'s Clinician-Operated Assistive Sleep Technology (COAST™). COAST includes a clinician portal and a patient app, and it utilizes algorithms that facilitate detection of sleep disordered patterns, support clinical decision-making, and personalize sleep interventions. The first aim is to compare three clinician- and system-centered implementation strategies on the reach, adoption, and sustainability of the COAST digital platform by offering (1) COAST only, (2) COAST plus external facilitation (EF: assistance and consultation to providers by NOCTEM's sleep experts), or (3) COAST plus EF and internal facilitation (EF/IF: assistance/consultation to providers by NOCTEM's sleep experts and local champions). The second aim is to quantify improvements in insomnia among patients who receive behavioral sleep care via the COAST platform. We hypothesize that reach, adoption, and sustainability and the magnitude of improvements in insomnia will be superior in the EF and EF/IF groups relative to the COAST-only group.

DISCUSSION

Digital health technologies and machine learning-assisted clinical decision support tools have substantial potential for scaling access to insomnia treatment. This can augment the scalability and cost-effectiveness of CBTI without compromising patient outcomes. Engaging providers, stakeholders, patients, and decision-makers is key in identifying strategies to support the deployment of digital health technologies that can promote quality care and result in clinically meaningful sleep improvements, positive systemic change, and enhanced readiness and health among service members.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04366284 . Registered on 28 April 2020.

Acupoint Catgut Embedding for Insomnia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVES

A Meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE), a procedure of embedding sutures made of absorbable materials into the skin tissue of acupoints, on insomnia.

METHODS

Relevant clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were comprehensively searched from eleven electronic databases (up to 1 March 2020). Two authors independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Stata 12 and RevMan 5.3.0 software were used for meta-analysis. PyCharm 2019 and Gephi software (version 0.9.2) were used for complex network analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-four RCTs involving 2,655 patients were included. The meta-analysis suggested that ACE induced a better clinical efficacy compared with that in the estazolam tablets (EZ) group (RR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.31) or in the acupuncture (ACU) group (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.28) and could significantly reduce the score of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (P < 0.05). ACE resulted in better long-term efficacy compared to that in the EZ group (RR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.58, 2.22) and ACU group (RR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.48). ACE could significantly reduce the incidence of adverse events (RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.60) compared with that in the EZ group. Complex network analysis indicated that acupoints of BL23, SP6, PC6, BL15, BL20, BL18, and HT7 were the core acupoints selected in ACE for insomnia.

CONCLUSION

The clinical efficacy of ACE for insomnia is better than that of other interventions (EZ and ACU) in both short-term and long-term observations. Considering the efficacy and reduced visits to the clinic by ACE, the present study provides a practical and convenient complementary and alternative therapy for insomnia. This trial is registered with PROSPERO CRD 42020169866.

Digital chemsex support and care: The potential of just-in-time adaptive interventions

Chemsex among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) has received increasing attention as a public health concern in recent years. Chemsex can affect a variety of aspects of the lives of GBMSM and contribute to physical, social and emotional health burden. Starting from a continuum perspective of chemsex, rather than a binary view of problematic vs. non-problematic use, we argue that men engaging in chemsex at different points in their chemsex journey may benefit from tailored and personalized support to cope with the various and evolving challenges and concerns that may be related to their chemsex behavior. To date, interactive digital communication technologies are not much used to provide support and care for GBMSM engaging in chemsex, neither for community-based support and care nor by health services. This suggests potential for missed opportunities, as GBMSM are generally avid users of these technologies for social connections and hookups, including in relation to chemsex. Recent research has provided emerging evidence of the potential effects of so-called just in time adaptive interventions (JITAI) to provide effective support and care for a variety of health issues. JITAI hold much promise for the provision of appropriate, tailored support and care for GBMSM at different points in the chemsex journey. Co-designing JITAI with potential users and other stakeholders (co-design) is key to success. At the Institute for Tropical Medicine, in Antwerp (Belgium), we initiated the Chemified project to develop an innovative digital chemsex support and care tool for GBMSM. This project illustrates how current understanding of chemsex as a journey can be integrated with a JITAI approach and make use of co-design principles to advance the available support and care for GBMSM engaging in chemsex.

Efficacy of a Smartphone App Intervention for Reducing Caregiver Stress: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Caregivers play a pivotal role in maintaining an economically viable health care system, yet they are characterized by low levels of psychological well-being and consistently report unmet needs for psychological support. Mobile app-based (mobile health [mHealth]) interventions present a novel approach to both reducing stress and improving well-being.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app-based psychological intervention for people providing care to family or friends with a physical or mental disability.

METHODS

In a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial, 183 caregivers recruited through the web were randomly allocated to either an intervention (n=73) or active control (n=110) condition. The intervention app contained treatment modules combining daily self-monitoring with third-wave (mindfulness-based) cognitive-behavioral therapies, whereas the active control app contained only self-monitoring features. Both programs were completed over a 5-week period. It was hypothesized that intervention app exposure would be associated with decreases in depression, anxiety, and stress, and increases in well-being, self-esteem, optimism, primary and secondary control, and social support. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 3-4 months postintervention. App quality was also assessed.

RESULTS

In total, 25% (18/73) of the intervention participants were lost to follow-up at 3 months, and 30.9% (34/110) of the participants from the wait-list control group dropped out before the postintervention survey. The intervention group experienced reductions in stress (b=-2.07; P=.04) and depressive symptoms (b=-1.36; P=.05) from baseline to postintervention. These changes were further enhanced from postintervention to follow-up, with the intervention group continuing to report lower levels of depression (b=-1.82; P=.03) and higher levels of emotional well-being (b=6.13; P<.001), optimism (b=0.78; P=.007), self-esteem (b=-0.84; P=.005), support from family (b=2.15; P=.001), support from significant others (b=2.66; P<.001), and subjective well-being (b=4.82; P<.001). On average, participants completed 2.5 (SD 1.05) out of 5 treatment modules. The overall quality of the app was also rated highly, with a mean score of 3.94 out of a maximum score of 5 (SD 0.58).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that mHealth psychological interventions are an effective treatment option for caregivers experiencing high levels of stress. Recommendations for improving mHealth interventions for caregivers include offering flexibility and customization in the treatment design.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12616000996460; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371170.

Sleep in the United States Military

The military lifestyle often includes continuous operations whether in training or deployed environments. These stressful environments present unique challenges for service members attempting to achieve consolidated, restorative sleep. The significant mental and physical derangements caused by degraded metabolic, cardiovascular, skeletomuscular, and cognitive health often result from insufficient sleep and/or circadian misalignment. Insufficient sleep and resulting fatigue compromises personal safety, mission success, and even national security. In the long-term, chronic insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disorders have been associated with other sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and parasomnias). Other physiologic and psychologic diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease, and dementia have also been associated with chronic, insufficient sleep. Increased co-morbidity and mortality are compounded by traumatic brain injury resulting from blunt trauma, blast exposure, and highly physically demanding tasks under load. We present the current state of science in human and animal models specific to service members during- and post-military career. We focus on mission requirements of night shift work, sustained operations, and rapid re-entrainment to time zones. We then propose targeted pharmacological and non-pharmacological countermeasures to optimize performance that are mission- and symptom-specific. We recognize a critical gap in research involving service members, but provide tailored interventions for military health care providers based on the large body of research in health care and public service workers.

Sleep in PTSD: treatment approaches and outcomes

The high incidence of sleep disturbance associated with trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) points to the need for effective sleep interventions for trauma survivors. The present review focuses on recent psychotherapeutic, pharmacological, and sleep medicine treatment approaches for sleep disturbances in PTSD. Findings highlight that targeted sleep interventions can ameliorate sleep symptoms and mitigate daytime PTSD symptoms. Attention has turned to the role of multidisciplinary and integrative approaches, as comprehensive treatment for sleep disturbances in PTSD is likely to require innovative assessment modalities and multiple interventions. A method for compressing these components into a treatment plan acceptable to most PTSD-diagnosed patients remains to be developed.