Insomnia is a problem for approximately 75% of people living with HIV, which is much higher than the 6% to 10% of people with insomnia in the general population. It is currently unknown why the rate of insomnia is so high among people living with HIV, and because of this, they are often excluded from clinical trials examining the usefulness of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which is recommended as the first-line treatment for insomnia. Insomnia is also associated with poorer immune functioning and lower medication adherence.
The main purpose of this study is to examine whether cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is useful at reducing insomnia among people living with HIV, and whether it is safe to provide to this population. It has already been shown to be safe and effective at reducing insomnia among the general population. Another purpose of this study is to explore whether reducing insomnia will lead to improved immune functioning and medication adherence. A third purpose of this study is to collect feedback about people’s experiences receiving the therapy. A fourth purpose is to look at which behavioural and other psychological factors (such as daytime napping and stress) are associated with insomnia severity in order to better understand why the rate of insomnia is so high in this population, and to help design effective treatments for insomnia specific to people living with HIV.
In total, we are looking for:
- 20 participants for Part 1 of our study (6 visits, including 2 assessments and 4 therapy sessions)
- 40 participants for Part 2 of our study (1 single assessment).
We are currently recruiting for Part 2 only.
For more information, and to see if you are eligible to participate in this study, please call us at 416-979-5000 ext. 2180 (after pressing “1”) or email us at PositiveSleepStudy@gmail.com.
Tyler Tulloch, M.A., is the Principal Investigator on this study. This study is currently supported by a scholarship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.