I recently came across an Associated Press (AP) article1 about an internet-based treatment for insomnia that is apparently netting promising results in an initial study that has just been published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The study utilizes a program (cleverly named Sleep Healthy Using the Internet, or “SHUTi”) which participants access via a website.2 The program is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches to treating insomnia that have been previously demonstrated to be very effective.3
This software, developed at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Virginia,45 could be a great alternative to treatment via medications. I am generally fairly cautious about melding counseling and technology because I think that our culture is already struggling with how to make use of technology and yet maintain healthy, face-to-face relationships. I do think that programs like SHUTi can be useful, however; especially if they are a part of a holistic treatment plan that addresses the entire person through face-to-face counseling.
Footnotes
- AP Article: Internet-based therapy shows promise for insomnia ↩
- SHUTi Website: http://www.shuti.net ↩
- Efficacy of an Internet-Based Behavioral Intervention for Adults With Insomnia, Archives of General Psychiatry, 2009; 66(7):690. ↩
- Need More Shut Eye? New Online Study to Help People with Insomnia ↩
- http://www.study.shuti.net ↩
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