Treatment of Insomnia in Forensic Psychiatric Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Maaike van Veen*, Gretha Boersma, Julie Karsten, Marike Lancel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Background: Insomnia is common in forensic psychiatric patients. Not only does insomnia severely impair general mental health, but it has specifically been associated with poor emotion regulation and self-control, potentially leading to problems in impulsivity, hostility, and even aggression. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) could therefore be beneficial in this patient group. Methods: We conducted a 14-week randomized controlled trial of the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on sleep, general psychopathology, hostility, impulsivity, and aggression in 31 male forensic psychiatric patients. Results: The CBT-I group (n = 11) showed a stronger reduction in self-reported insomnia symptoms and hostility than the waitlist group (n = 11). No differences were found in post-treatment self-reported general psychopathology, impulsivity, or aggression, nor on actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of CBT-I in forensic psychiatric patients and indicates the importance of insomnia treatment in this population, especially considering the effect on hostility.
Original languageEnglish
Article number302
Number of pages9
JournalBrain Sciences
Volume15
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12-Mar-2025

Keywords

  • aggression
  • cognitive behavioral therapy
  • forensic psychiatry
  • insomnia

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