Introduction: Insomnia is the most prevalent of all sleep disorders. Non-pharmacological interventions in recent years have been established as first-line treatment for nonorganic insomnia. Studies have shown Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to be effective for primary insomnia. Paradoxical intention is a Logo-therapeutic technique based on the existential origins of the founder, Viktor E. Frankl. Past researches into the effectiveness of paradoxical Intention interventions have been inconsistent. There is a lack of evidence that Paradoxical Intention Therapy is differentially effective in insomnia when compared with CBT-I. Aim: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of CBT-I and PIT and to study their effects on mental health in Non-Organic Insomnia in young adults.
Method: Participants: A mixed-gender group of 20 young adults with a mean age of 25.35 years.
Procedure: Participants were recruited via an online survey with the help of the Insomnia Severity Index. 100 participants responded to the online survey on Insomnia Severity Index out of which 24 met the inclusion criteria and finally 20 participants gave their consent to undergo the intervention modules. Participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups namely CBT-I (n=10) and PIT group (n=10). Both the interventions were given for two months. Scores of Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and Mental Health Inventory were taken as outcome measures at baseline (Pre-Intervention), at the end of the intervention (Post Intervention), and in a follow-up assessment after 45 days, assessment of Insomnia Severity and Sleep Quality was done to study the maintenance of the therapeutic effect and relapse. An informed consent was taken from participants before the intervention results: It was found that both CBT-I and PIT are effective. Although CBT-I was associated with greater improvements than PIT. Both the groups showed significant improvements in the scores of outcome measures. The overall patterns of change with treatment demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvements in the severity of insomnia symptoms as well as statistically significant differences in sleep quality and mental health.
Conclusion: Both CBT and PIT are effective in non-organic insomnia but CBT-I might be a substantial treatment of choice with a more sustained and high effect for CBT-I when compared to Paradoxical Intention Therapy
Keywords
Organic Insomnia; Cognitive Behavior Therapy; Paradoxical Intention Therapy; Young Adults