Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36943337›Full record

ArticleJMIR mental health2023

Effectiveness of an App-Based Short Intervention to Improve Sleep: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Bianka Vollert, Luise Müller, Corinna Jacobi, Mickey Trockel, Ina Beintner

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR mental health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Bianka Vollert *Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5462-9723
Luise MüllerDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4280-0420
Corinna JacobiDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0982-0596
Mickey TrockelDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7191-5791
Ina Beintner *Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1779-9878
Technische Universität Dresden · DEStanford University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA growing body of evidence for digital interventions to improve sleep shows promising effects. The interventions investigated so far have been primarily web-based; however, app-based interventions may reach a wider audience and be more suitable for daily use.

objectiveThis study aims to evaluate the intervention effects, adherence, and acceptance of an unguided app-based intervention for individuals who wish to improve their sleep.

methodsIn a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the effects of an app-based short intervention (Refresh) to improve sleep compared with a waitlist condition. Refresh is an 8-week unguided intervention covering the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and including a sleep diary. The primary outcome was sleep quality (insomnia symptoms) as self-assessed by the Regensburg Insomnia Scale (RIS). The secondary outcomes were depression (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] score) and perceived insomnia-related impairment.

resultsWe included 371 participants, of which 245 reported poor sleep at baseline. About 1 in 3 participants who were allocated to the intervention group never accessed the intervention. Active participants completed on average 4 out of 8 chapters. Retention rates were 67.4% (n=250) at postassessment and 57.7% (n=214) at the 6-month follow-up. At postintervention, insomnia symptoms in the intervention group had improved more than those in the waitlist group, with a small effect (d=0.26) in the whole sample and a medium effect (d=0.45) in the subgroup with poor sleep. Effects in the intervention group were maintained at follow-up. Perceived insomnia-related impairment also improved from pre- to postassessment. No significant intervention effect on depression was detected. Working alliance and acceptance were moderate to good.

conclusionsAn app-based, unguided intervention is a feasible and effective option to scale-up CBT-I-based treatment, but intervention uptake and adherence need to be carefully addressed.

trial registrationISRCTN Registry ISRCTN53553517; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN53553517.

Indexed as

cognitive behavioral treatment for insomniaeHealthinsomniamobile appsleep

Identifiers

PMID36943337
PMCPMC10131838
OpenAlexW4312649122

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.