Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40085843›Full record

Trial reportJMIR human factors2025

Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Treatment for Insomnia, Nightmares, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Survivors of Wildfires: Pilot Randomized Feasibility Trial.

Fadia Isaac, Britt Klein, Huy Nguyen, Shaun Watson, Gerard A Kennedy

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in JMIR human factors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
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.

Fadia IsaacInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1593-3666
Britt KleinInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2912-8043
Huy NguyenHealth Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5896-9661
Shaun WatsonInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8112-9687
Gerard A KennedySchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4419-050X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSymptoms of insomnia, nightmares, and trauma are highly prevalent. However, there are significant barriers to accessing evidence-based treatments for these conditions, leading to poor mental health outcomes.

objectiveThis pilot trial evaluated the feasibility of a 4-week, digital self-paced intervention combining cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy for nightmares in survivors of wildfires from Australia, Canada, and the United States.

methodsStudy participants were recruited between May 2023 and December 2023 through social media platforms, workshops, conferences, and radio interviews. Participants had to meet at least one of the following criteria: a score of ≥8 on the Insomnia Severity Index, a score of ≥3 on the Nightmare Disorder Index, or a score of ≥31 on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. In total, 30 survivors of wildfires were allocated to either the treatment group (n=16, 53%) or the waitlist control group (n=14, 47%) in a sequential manner. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 79 years, with a mean age of 52.50 (SD 16.26) years. The cohort consisted of 63% (19/30) female and 37% (11/30) male participants. Participants also completed self-report secondary outcome measures, including the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, via the HealthZone digital platform. Assessments were conducted at baseline, the posttreatment time point, and the 3-month follow-up, with the waitlist group undergoing an additional assessment at the pretreatment time point, after 4 weeks of waiting and before crossing over to treatment. This study used intention-to-treat analysis as a primary analysis and per-protocol analysis as a secondary analysis.

resultsMixed-effects linear regression models and difference-in-differences analyses were used to assess the intervention's effects. The intention-to-treat analysis revealed significant improvements over time (main effect of time), with a 1.64-point reduction (P=.001) on the Nightmare Disorder Index and 10.64-point reduction (P=.009) on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at the postintervention time point. No significant changes were observed in insomnia symptoms. On the secondary measures, there was an interaction effect of condition × time, with a 2.22-point reduction (P<.001) on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a main effect of time, with a 6.48-point reduction (P<.001) on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. No changes were detected on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. The per-protocol analysis yielded comparable results for both the primary and secondary measures.

conclusionsThe findings of this pilot trial demonstrated a reduction in nightmares and trauma symptoms. Future research studies should aim at evaluating the intervention in a more definitive trial with a larger sample size.

trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12623000415606; https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=385054.

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyDreamsSleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticSurvivorsWildfiresAdolescentAdultAgedAustraliaCanadaFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedbushfiresCBTicognitive behavioral therapy for insomniacomputerdigital healtheHealthERRTexposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapyinsomniamHealthmobile healthnightmaresposttraumatic stress disorderPTSDSleep Best-iwildfires

Identifiers

PMID40085843
PMCPMC11953604

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Registered trials

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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.