Effectiveness of an internet-based intervention to improve sleep difficulties in a culturally diverse sample of international students: A randomised controlled pilot study
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Effectiveness of an internet-based intervention to improve sleep difficulties in a culturally diverse sample of international students : A randomised controlled pilot study. / Spanhel, Kerstin; Burdach, Daniela; Pfeiffer, Teresa et al.
In: Journal of Sleep Research, Vol. 31, No. 2, e13493, 01.04.2022.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of an internet-based intervention to improve sleep difficulties in a culturally diverse sample of international students
T2 - A randomised controlled pilot study
AU - Spanhel, Kerstin
AU - Burdach, Daniela
AU - Pfeiffer, Teresa
AU - Lehr, Dirk
AU - Spiegelhalder, Kai
AU - Ebert, David D.
AU - Baumeister, Harald
AU - Bengel, Juergen
AU - Sander, Lasse B.
N1 - © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society.
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - Sleep difficulties are widespread among international students. Internet-based interventions are suggested as a low-threshold treatment option but may require cultural adaptation among culturally diverse populations. The present pilot study investigated the effectiveness and acceptance of an internet-based intervention to improve sleep difficulties in international students. A total of 81 international students of 36 nationalities were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 41) or waitlist control group (n = 40). The intervention group received immediate access to a culturally non-adapted unguided internet-based sleep intervention consisting of three modules based on sleep hygiene and cognitive techniques to reduce rumination. At baseline, 4 and 12 weeks after randomisation, insomnia severity, measured by the Insomnia Severity Index, and secondary outcomes (sleep quality, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, well-being, presenteeism, mental health literacy) were assessed. Data were analysed using linear multi-level analyses. Additionally, satisfaction and perceived cultural appropriateness of the intervention were evaluated by international students after 4 weeks, and compared with ratings of German students, who represent the original target group. Insomnia severity improved over time in the intervention group compared to the control group, revealing a significant estimated mean difference of −5.60 (Hedges’ g = 0.84, p < 0.001) after 12 weeks. Satisfaction and perceived cultural appropriateness was high and comparable to that of German students. The present study shows that a culturally non-adapted internet-based sleep intervention can be a low-threshold treatment option to help meet the high demand for mental healthcare among international students. It thus indicates that cultural adaptation might not represent a precondition for providing effective internet-based sleep interventions to this target group.
AB - Sleep difficulties are widespread among international students. Internet-based interventions are suggested as a low-threshold treatment option but may require cultural adaptation among culturally diverse populations. The present pilot study investigated the effectiveness and acceptance of an internet-based intervention to improve sleep difficulties in international students. A total of 81 international students of 36 nationalities were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 41) or waitlist control group (n = 40). The intervention group received immediate access to a culturally non-adapted unguided internet-based sleep intervention consisting of three modules based on sleep hygiene and cognitive techniques to reduce rumination. At baseline, 4 and 12 weeks after randomisation, insomnia severity, measured by the Insomnia Severity Index, and secondary outcomes (sleep quality, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, well-being, presenteeism, mental health literacy) were assessed. Data were analysed using linear multi-level analyses. Additionally, satisfaction and perceived cultural appropriateness of the intervention were evaluated by international students after 4 weeks, and compared with ratings of German students, who represent the original target group. Insomnia severity improved over time in the intervention group compared to the control group, revealing a significant estimated mean difference of −5.60 (Hedges’ g = 0.84, p < 0.001) after 12 weeks. Satisfaction and perceived cultural appropriateness was high and comparable to that of German students. The present study shows that a culturally non-adapted internet-based sleep intervention can be a low-threshold treatment option to help meet the high demand for mental healthcare among international students. It thus indicates that cultural adaptation might not represent a precondition for providing effective internet-based sleep interventions to this target group.
KW - culturally sensitive treatment
KW - eHealth
KW - insomnia
KW - mental health treatment gap
KW - Psychology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115201030&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/19b3778a-196e-3b02-a1e0-5c61f2cc8dee/
U2 - 10.1111/jsr.13493
DO - 10.1111/jsr.13493
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 34549852
AN - SCOPUS:85115201030
VL - 31
JO - Journal of Sleep Research
JF - Journal of Sleep Research
SN - 0962-1105
IS - 2
M1 - e13493
ER -