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

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.