The Effectiveness of Multi-Component Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Insomnia on the Elderly People Suffering from Insomnia

Sleep disorders and insomnia are problems which create many problems for the elderly and imperil their physical and mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of multi-component cognitive-behavioral therapy on insomnia symptoms and sleep parameters in elderly people. The statistical population includes all the elderly people residing in Kahrizak nursing home, Tehran. The sample consisted of 30 elderly people with insomnia selected by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups.They completed the Athens Insomnia Scale and Sleep Log. The experimental group received the Edinger’s insomnia disorder multi-component cognitive-behavioral therapy in six 90-min sessions; the control group received no intervention. Based on MANCOVA, ANCOVA and Benferoni post hoc, group comparison in the pre-test and follow-up showed that the average scores of insomnia and sleep-onset latency were statistically significantly reduced in the experimental group as compared to the control group, and the total length of sleep was significantly increased (P≤ 0/001). Follow-up did not reveal any significant differences between the experimental and control groups as regards the total time of staying in bed. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that psychologists and nurses working in area of elderly use the multi-component cognitive-behavior therapy to improve the sleep quality of the elderly