Exercise-based Cognitive Therapy as a treatment for co-morbid insomnia and depression

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Daley, K. (2010). Exercise-based Cognitive Therapy as a treatment for co-morbid insomnia and depression. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

The present study introduces a new treatment modality for comorbid insomnia and depression that combines cardiovascular exercise and elements of cognitive behavioral treatment: Exercise Based Cognitive Therapy (EBCT). While simultaneously performing moderate - high intensity cardiovascular exercise, participants were instructed to focus on problems, goals and negative automatic thoughts. The key principal of EBCT is the combination of focused problem solving with physical activity. This intervention targeted individuals in a common workplace who self identified as needing assistance with stress management. The intervention involved 12 sessions, increasing in cardiovascular intensity with each successive session. Study participants completed several psychological and sleep measures pre- and post-intervention. After three months, participants completed qualitative feedback of their overall experience. A total of 18 individuals participated in the intervention, all female, mean age 39.4 years (SD =9.04). On average, participants attended 5.00 (SD=3.74) sessions. Participants were predominantly Caucasian (72.2%), and a majority had a college education or beyond (55.5%). ANCOVAs were conducted to assess changes in the outcomes of interest. Tests of within-subjects effects demonstrated significant improvements in depression, insomnia, total sleep time, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, anxiety, perceived stress, automatic negative thoughts, and coping self-efficacy. Number of sessions attended was a significant covariant for the models for sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and coping self-efficacy. In contrast the number of sessions attended did not predict the magnitude of changes in anxiety and depression. Qualitative feedback had a 78.6% response rate; 100% of the respondents indicated the intervention was beneficial. This study presents the first investigation in which principles of psychotherapy were combined with physical exercise as a treatment approach to comorbid insomnia and depression. This new treatment modality was acceptable to participants, and demonstrated that a non-pharmacologic approach can have positive effects, simultaneously, on sleep, anxiety and depression. The ease with which the protocol was administered demonstrates that it may be attractive to patients and clinicians as an alternative to more formal psychotherapy or more informal general recommendations to increase physical activity.

Details
Author

Daley, Kristin

Title

Exercise-based Cognitive Therapy as a treatment for co-morbid insomnia and depression

Physical Description

1 online resource (131 pages) : PDF

Date

2010

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

The present study introduces a new treatment modality for comorbid insomnia and depression that combines cardiovascular exercise and elements of cognitive behavioral treatment: Exercise Based Cognitive Therapy (EBCT). While simultaneously performing moderate - high intensity cardiovascular exercise, participants were instructed to focus on problems, goals and negative automatic thoughts. The key principal of EBCT is the combination of focused problem solving with physical activity. This intervention targeted individuals in a common workplace who self identified as needing assistance with stress management. The intervention involved 12 sessions, increasing in cardiovascular intensity with each successive session. Study participants completed several psychological and sleep measures pre- and post-intervention. After three months, participants completed qualitative feedback of their overall experience. A total of 18 individuals participated in the intervention, all female, mean age 39.4 years (SD =9.04). On average, participants attended 5.00 (SD=3.74) sessions. Participants were predominantly Caucasian (72.2%), and a majority had a college education or beyond (55.5%). ANCOVAs were conducted to assess changes in the outcomes of interest. Tests of within-subjects effects demonstrated significant improvements in depression, insomnia, total sleep time, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, anxiety, perceived stress, automatic negative thoughts, and coping self-efficacy. Number of sessions attended was a significant covariant for the models for sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and coping self-efficacy. In contrast the number of sessions attended did not predict the magnitude of changes in anxiety and depression. Qualitative feedback had a 78.6% response rate; 100% of the respondents indicated the intervention was beneficial. This study presents the first investigation in which principles of psychotherapy were combined with physical exercise as a treatment approach to comorbid insomnia and depression. This new treatment modality was acceptable to participants, and demonstrated that a non-pharmacologic approach can have positive effects, simultaneously, on sleep, anxiety and depression. The ease with which the protocol was administered demonstrates that it may be attractive to patients and clinicians as an alternative to more formal psychotherapy or more informal general recommendations to increase physical activity.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Clinical psychology
Psychophysiology

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Depression
Exercise
Insomnia

Subject Area

Health Psychology

Advisor(s)

Gil-Rivas, Virginia

Committee Members

Gaultney, Jane
Peterman, Amy
Warren-Findlow, Jan
Zellars, Kelly

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2010.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Daley_uncc_0694D_10147

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:1509