RESTED

Randomised Evaluation of Sleep Treatment to Ease Depression

Background and study aims

Depression is a very common and impairing condition. There are reasons to think that poor sleep is an important contributor to depression and that if sleep could be improved, depression would improve too.

Previous research has shown that we can improve sleep quality using a nurse-supported behavioural treatment. This treatment involves reviewing your current sleep pattern and supporting you to follow a new, personalised sleep schedule.

In this study we want to find out whether using this treatment to improve sleep will improve depression and, if so, how it works.

Who can participate?

For this study we are inviting people aged 18 years and over who experience depression and frequent difficulty with falling asleep and/or waking up during the night (insomnia), and whose GP practice is in the Thames Valley and South Midlands region or the Greater Manchester region and participating in the trial. Please see the map below for all medical practices taking part.

What does the study involve?

If you are interested in taking part in this study, we will first ask you to complete a questionnaire (either online, over the phone or in paper format, which will take around 15 minutes) to determine whether the study is suitable for you. The questionnaire will ask about your sleep and your depression as well as your general health.

You can click here to fill out the online version of our questionnaire or alternatively, you can email or call us using the contact details to the right.

Once you have completed the questionnaire, a member of the study team will arrange a brief interview with you to check that you meet the eligibility criteria, and to determine if the study is suitable for you.

If you are considered eligible after completing the questionnaire and interview, you will be invited to meet with one of our researchers. This meeting will either take place at your GP practice or another convenient location, or can be done via video link. You will receive a £15 gift voucher for your time.

You will subsequently be randomised into one of two groups. The first is our control group, in which you will receive treatment as usual from your healthcare provider. If you are placed in the second group, you will also receive your usual treatment, but will additionally meet with a nurse over six weekly sessions, where you will be supported to follow a new, personally-tailored sleep schedule.

In both instances, the study team will send you questionnaires at 1, 2, and 6 months, and you will receive gift vouchers for completing each of these follow-up assessments.

Please do take the time to read the participant information sheet in the link to the right, which gives more detailed information about the objectives and stages of the study. If you have any questions that are not answered within this booklet, please get in touch!

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