Zeitschrift für Schlafstörungen und Therapie
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia in the Arab World: A Systematic Review

Doaa El Basiouny*, Hana I Habib, Ahmed Gharib

Background: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first line treatment of insomnia. However, there is limited research in the Arab countries that has assessed its efficacy with Arabic speakers, particularly in targeting sleep habits, behaviours, and thoughts related to Arab culture. The aim of this work is to review the empirical studies that assessed the effectiveness of CBT-I in Arab countries and address the research and clinical practice limitations.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The Ovid interface was utilized to search the Midline and PsycINFO databases from January to the end of March 2023. Google Scholar was further used for retrieval of other relevant searches. Appropriate search terms were used to gather studies that examined the efficacy of CBT-I in Arabic countries. The Quality Criteria Checklist (QCC) was utilized to examine quality.

Results: Seven eligible studies were identified, four in Egypt, two in Lebanon, and one in Saudi Arabia. All studies utilized the pre-post assessment design and included several assessment tools to assess the severity of insomnia, comorbidity and the effect of CBT-I. CBT-I in the studies consisted of, sleep hygiene and education, Stimulus Control therapy (SC), Sleep Restriction Therapy (SRT), cognitive therapy, and relaxation training. All studies have assessed the effectiveness of CBT-I in treating patients with insomnia. All studies were rated as positive according to the QCC.

Conclusion: This review has found that CBT-I was an effective treatment for treating insomnia and reducing the severity of insomnia symptoms.