ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the efficacy and compliance of e-aid cognitive behavioral therapy (eCBTI) in patients with situational insomnia among different age groups.Methods:A total of 194 patients with situational insomnia were recruited via a campaign of the " Prevention and Protection Handbook Against Epidemic" from March to April 2020 in Guangzhou, China.Participants were divided into two groups according to age: under 35 years old ( n=87) and 35 years old and above ( n=107). They all received one-week eCBTI intervention.Insomnia severity index (ISI), Pre-sleep arousal scale (PSAS) and Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) were used to evaluate the severity of insomnia for all participants pre- and post-intervention.The change of each scale within the group and the reduction rate of each scale between groups were compared using t test and one-way ANOVA. Results:(1) Intervention efficacy: in the <35-year-old group, compared with baseline, the scores of ISI scale ((9.2±4.1), (14.8±5.1)), PSAS cognitive arousal subscale ((18.5±8.4), (23.5±6.6)), PSAS((34.3±15.8), (40.3±10.7)), HADS depression subscale ((5.8±3.6), (8.5±4.6)) and HADS anxiety subscale((7.1±3.9), (9.5±4.5) )were statistically significant after eCBTI intervention ( t= 2.88-8.80, all P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in score of PSAS body subscale ((15.8±7.8), (16.8±5.7)). In ≥35-year-old group, compared with baseline, the scores of ISI scale ((9.7±4.2), (14.4±4.3)), HADS depression subscale ((4.6±2.2), (6.6±3.5))and PSAS cognitive arousal subscale ((16.9 ±8.5), (20.0±5.8))were significantly different after intervention ( t= 2.90-6.86, all P<0.01), meanwhile the scores of PSAS body subscale ((14.3±8.0), (13.9±5.2)), PSAS((32.2±16.5), (33.9±9.2)), HADS anxiety subscale((6.1±3.2), (7.0±3.5)) were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the score reduction rate between the two groups before and after intervention (all P>0.05). (2) Compliance: 86 cases dropped out, and the dropout rate was 61.3%.Totally 75 cases (38.7%) completed the 7-day treatment, and 119 cases (61.3%) completed the treatment within 1-6 days.Further study found that there was statistically significant difference in the reduction rate of ISI total score among the three groups with excellent, good and poor compliance ( F=5.655, P=0.004). Conclusion:eCBTI has a good effect on situational insomnia in different age groups, and there is no difference in treatment compliance.