In a recent randomised clinical trial it was found that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) did not significantly alter emotional processing of facial expressions following treatment in individuals with clinically significant depressive symptoms, however significant and large improvements in both insomnia and depression symptoms were observed.
The study, carried out by a group of researchers including University of Oxford’s Professor Catherine Harmer, Professor Colin Espie, Associate Professor Kate Saunders and Professor Simon Kyle from Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) included 205 participants and aimed to determine whether CBT-I could modify the perception of happy or sad facial expressions.
The study suggests that changes in how people see happy or sad faces doesn’t explain why CBT-I for insomnia helps with depression. The researchers found that early change in worry, negative affect, and emotion regulation predicted later reduction in depression.
The paper was published recently in Jama Network Open and can be read online here.
