Sleep Quality in Youth with First-Episode Psychosis Participating in an Individualized Lifestyle and Life-Skills Intervention – The Keeping the Body in Mind Program
Poster B108, Friday, October 21, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Megan Kalucy1,2, Simon Rosenbaum1,2, Jackie Curtis1,2, Andrew Watkins1,3, Scott Teasdale1,2, Katherine Samaras1,4, Philip B. Ward1,2; 1UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia, 2South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia, 3Faculty of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, 4Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Australia
Disruption of sleep is a common complaint amongst people with a psychotic illness. Sleep problems may be a symptom of the underlying illness or a comorbid disorder or reflect treatment side effects. Sleep problems can contribute to persistent distressing symptoms, cognitive impairment, impaired capacity for rehabilitation and reduced quality of life. The Keeping the Body In Mind program is a multidisciplinary lifestyle and life-skills intervention program, which aims to promote physical well-being and attenuate weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in young people aged 15-25 with first-episode psychosis (FEP) recently commenced on antipsychotic medications. Participants (n=16, mean age 20 years, nine female) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) pre- and post the 12-week KBIM lifestyle intervention. Overall sleep quality improved as per the total score on the PSQI (mean change −1.6 (−3.1 to −0.1; p<0.05; range 0-21). Participants reported no significant change in mean hours of sleep per night (8.7 SD 1.6 hours pre-intervention, 9.1 SD 1.4 hours post-intervention; p=0.28). At baseline 56% (n=9) of participants reported using medication to assist with sleeping, compared to 31% (n=5) at follow-up. At baseline 44% (n=7) reported daytime sleepiness one-three times per week compared to just 12% (n=2) at follow-up. This study provides preliminary evidence that a lifestyle intervention targeting youth with FEP may be effective in improving sleep-related behaviour and quality. Future research should utilise matched controls and include objective measures of sleep behaviour and examine potential mediating factors including, illness acuity, medication prescription and physical activity levels.
Topic Area: Psychosocial Interventions