Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong TK, Kwan HT, Wong CY, Chau SM, Ho TW, Koo CT, Yip WK, Wan SL, Wong MOC
Affiliation :
Community Psychiatric Service, Tai Po Hospital
Introduction :
Mood disorders impact about 12% of the global population and are strongly associated with sleep disturbances, which can persist in remission, increasing the risk of exacerbation and relapse. Mindfulness is an alternative non-pharmacological strategy in sleep promotion with evidence based, while mindfulness mobile apps offer accessible practice. Addressing no specific program designed in sleep promotion for mental health service users in Community Psychiatric service (CPS). A client-centered group intervention in 4 weeks was implemented to improve sleep quality in adults with mood disorders through mindfulness intervention app Newlife 330, sleep diary and face-to-face educational sessions.
Objectives :
To enhance the sleep quality and overall mental well-being of users with mood disorders by employing an integrated approach that combined mindfulness-based intervention, personalized sleep diaries, mobile applications, face-to-face therapeutic sessions, and ongoing telephone follow-ups.
Methodology :
The program recruited active cases from CPS involving users with mood disorders who reported sleep concerns. Four sessions were conducted weekly throughout October 2024, with each session lasting 60 minutes and incorporating both theoretical and practical elements. In the first session, participants received sleep education and an introduction to mindfulness techniques and concepts through a booklet. Every session included practice of mindfulness skills using the NewLife 330 app, complemented by a brief discussion. Additionally, participants were provided with a sleep diary for self-monitoring purposes.
A “Pre-test” vs. “Post-test’ design was employed.
Subjects were (1) CPS active cases with aged 18 or above (2) Diagnosed with mood disorder (3) With sleep problems, scored 5 or greater in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Outcome measures: (1) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (2) Participant Satisfaction Survey
Result & Outcome :
From 03 Oct 2024 to 31 Oct 2024, 4 intervention groups were conducted with 16 participants completed the program (Male: 8, Female; 8, Age: 33 to 68 y.o.). The intervention yielded positive results in sleep quality, particularly in two components, sleep latency and sleep duration. Overall, the mean PSQI score improved significantly from 13.9 to 10.4, indicating better sleep quality, as lower PSQI scores reflect improved sleep. 75% of participants reported improved sleep quality. Among those who improved, 12.5% showed marked improvements. Regarding sleep latency, 50 of the participants fell asleep faster. Furthermore, average sleep duration increased from 4.4 to 5.8 hours, with 68.75% of participants achieving longer sleep.
Satisfaction survey showed participants appreciated the program with overall satisfaction at 90% toward the entire program. Remarkably, the satisfaction rate in mental health and improvement in mood symptoms were 87.5% and 81.25% respectively. These promising results further validated the effectiveness of the sleep program in enhancing mental well-being.
Conclusion: The program successfully engaged participants from active CPS cases involving users with mood disorders and sleep concerns. Over the course of four weekly sessions in October 2024, participants demonstrated a significant improvement in sleep quality and mindfulness skills. The combination of theoretical education, practical mindfulness exercises using the NewLife 330 app, and the use of sleep diaries for self-monitoring proved effective. These results highlight the program's potential in positively influencing sleep behaviors and promoting mental well-being among this population.
