This UK-based Online Therapy Could Improve Insomnia Symptoms

Online therapies have always been a point of contention. Is it really safe? Does it really work? How do I talk about my mental health issues if I am not meeting the person? How can the therapist know if I am feeling anxious about certain things without seeing my body language and how I react to certain things? These are the questions that comes to everyone's mind before considering an online therapy. However, the University of Warwick created a new online psychological therapy which has shown to improve insomnia, anxiety and depression symptoms.

In the UK, around 10% of the general population experiences insomnia symptoms, which contributes to their poor mental health, worker dissatisfaction and cost the UK economy around £50 billion each year. Therapy for insomnia is available through the National Health Scheme or the NHS website, through NHS Talking Therapies. However, the access is not so smooth, it depends on the local availability and long waiting times.

Thus, alternative online therapy may as well work out for those who have to wait for long durations. A clinical trial was then set up and headed by Dr Talar Moukhtarian, Assistant Professor at Warwick Medical School, the findings are published in journal Psychological Nature, titled Digital CBT for insomnia and emotion regulation in the workplace: a randomized waitlist-controlled trial.

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How Was The Study Conducted?

For the clinical trials, workers from organizations across the Midlands received therapies in a hybrid approach that treated both insomnia and emotion regulation. The aim was to improve the quality of sleep and mental health in the working age population.

"Poor sleep is often an early warning sign of declining mental health, yet treatment is typically only available or sought when issues become severe. By providing an accessible, scalable digital therapy, we can intervene early—helping workers improve sleep and emotional resilience before problems escalate. This proactive approach not only enhances well-being but also reduces the long-term burden on health care services and workplaces" said Dr Moukhtarian.

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The therapy also lasted for 8 weeks and was made up of self-guided content and online therapist session. Improvement too was noted in all spheres of wellbeing among the workers who began the program, even those who had mild symptoms. The Medical Express reports that a participant from the study said, ""It's made really important improvements to my sleep patterns and my quality of life and well-being in general, so I really have highly positive views on the experience."

Another employee said, "It gave you that place to discuss things and get some help personalized to yourself. If it was just the materials that were provided, I don't think I would have gotten as much out of it."

The online therapy thus works as an at-home digital treatment. Furthermore, the confidentiality and the accessibility from anywhere is what helped mitigate the stigma of publicly seeking psychological help in the workspace.

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