Garland, S.N., Carlson, L.E., Stephens, A.J., Antle, M.C., Samuels, C., & Campbell, T.S. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction compared with cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of insomnia comorbid with cancer: A randomized, partially blinded, noninferiority trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 32, 449–457.
To examine whether mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is noninferior to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for the treatment of insomnia in patients with cancer
Of 327 patients screened, 111 were assigned randomly (CBT-I, n = 47; MBSR, n = 64). MBSR was inferior to CBT-I for improving insomnia severity immediately after the program (p = .35), but MBSR demonstrated noninferiority at follow-up (p = .02). Sleep diary-measured sleep latency (minutes to fall asleep) was reduced by 22 minutes in the CBT-I group and by 14 minutes in the MBSR group at follow-up. Similar reductions in wake after sleep onset (in minutes) were observed for both groups. Total sleep time increased by 0.60 hours for CBT-I and 0.75 hours for MBSR. CBT-I improved sleep quality (p = .001) and dysfunctional sleep beliefs (p = .001), whereas both groups experienced reduced stress (p = .001) and mood disturbance (p = .001).
Although MBSR produced a clinically significant change in sleep and psychological outcomes, CBT-I was associated with rapid and durable improvement and remains the best choice for the nonpharmacologic treatment of insomnia.
Noninferiority of MBSR only was demonstrated at the five-month follow-up, suggesting that although MBSR may produce clinically significant improvements with time, the treatment effects of CBT-I are rapid and durable. Thus, CBT-I remains the treatment of choice for patients with cancer who have insomnia.