The role of dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes in late-life insomnia
Received 2 March 2006; received in revised form 16 May 2006; accepted 27 June 2006.
Abstract
Objectives
This study examined the role of individual and combined sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs in late-life insomnia.
Methods
Older adults who responded to an advertisement in a magazine took part in a cross-sectional survey (N=382). Respondents completed self-report measures of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep (Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes to Sleep Scale) as well as measures of their current sleep patterns.
Results
Overall, people with insomnia (PWI) endorsed more extreme ratings of dysfunctional beliefs than “good sleepers” did. However, some sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs did not discriminate PWIs from good sleepers nor were they related to experiencing a longer duration of insomnia.
Conclusion
This article demonstrates that not all sleep-related dysfunctional beliefs are related to reporting insomnia and that some are not related to a longer reported duration of insomnia, possibly changing through personal experience. These preliminary results may have implications for tailoring the cognitive aspects of psychoeducational programmes for people with late-life insomnia.
Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom. Tel.: +44 1483 686894; fax: +44 1483 879553.
ABSTRACT