Feasibility of Integrating Digital Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia in Routine Psychotherapy
2023 Bridge to Success Grant for Early Career Investigators
NICOLE GUMPORT, PHD
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Key Project Outcome
This project examined how digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBTi) can be integrated into routine mental health care with support from therapists. While dCBTi is effective, less is known about how it can be used in real-world clinical settings. We found that therapists see value in incorporating dCBTi into their work and view it as both feasible and acceptable. Therapists reported that a brief training (approximately four hours) would be sufficient to prepare them, and that spending 5–10 minutes during regular therapy sessions to support patients’ use of the digital program would be manageable. Therapists were also open to receiving training and identified practical strategies for helping patients stay engaged with the program. Based on this feedback, we refined and strengthened a streamlined training model for therapists that maintains feasibility while addressing common clinical questions, such as how to assess sleep concerns and support patients with complex life circumstances. Overall, this project provides early evidence that therapist-supported dCBTi can be integrated into routine psychotherapy, helping to expand access to evidence-based sleep care and improve sleep health in community mental health settings.