Insomnia and Fatigue after Traumatic Brain Injury: A CBT Approach to Assessment and Treatment

Insomnia and fatigue are two of the most frequent consequences after traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 30% of individuals suffer from chronic insomnia, an additional 20% have symptoms of insomnia, and up to 75% have significant and persistent fatigue. There is a strong empirical basis for the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions for the management of insomnia and fatigue in the general population and in other patient populations, and emerging research shows that these interventions seem applicable with similar benefits to people with TBI. Insomnia and Fatigue After Traumatic Brain Injury: A CBT Approach to Assessment and Treatment is written by a team of four scientist-practitioners in psychology who are experts in sleep medicine, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Together they have authored this assessment and intervention manual for insomnia and fatigue, intended for clinicians working with the TBI population. Based on cognitive-behavioral principles, the manual integrates evidence-based interventions and techniques used by expert clinicians working with these populations. Throughout the development process, there has been an ongoing integration of the best available research, specialized clinical expertise, and knowledge transfer expertise: all of these perspectives were used to choose, revise, and format the content of the manual as to ensure that it would be most useful for the target audience.

Comprehensive manual on how to use cognitive behavioral therapy for assessment and treatment of insomnia and fatigue in clients with TBI

Millions of individuals throughout the world suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, often leading to multiple negative consequences, insomnia and fatigue chief among them. There is a strong empirical basis for the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions for treatment of insomnia and fatigue in the general population, and these interventions have shown similar benefits for people with specific medical or psychiatric conditions such as TBI.

This book brings together experts in psychology, sleep medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and TBI and offers clinicians a guide for assessment and intervention for patients dealing with insomnia and fatigue following TBI. Based on cognitive-behavioral principles, the authors integrate evidence-based practice collected from TBI and other clinical populations with the expertise of clinicians working with these populations. The book also includes tools for clinicians to use with their patients, including psychoeducation sheets (about sleep after TBI, the link between fatigue and activity, etc.), exercises to be used outside of therapy sessions, descriptions of interventions strategies, and more.

Dr. Marie-Christine Ouellet is associate professor of psychology at Université Laval in Québec City (Canada) and a researcher at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS). She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Laval University, specializing on insomnia and fatigue associated with traumatic brain injury. She completed her clinical training in neuropsychology and clinical psychology at the Montreal Neurological Institute, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, and the Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec. Her present research program is supported by grants from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and pertains mainly to psychopathology (particularly depression, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue) associated with traumatic brain injury in younger and older adults.

Simon Beaulieu-Bonneau obtained a doctorate in psychology, research and intervention, clinical orientation (Ph.D.) from Laval University in 2012. During his doctoral studies, he did a clinical neuropsychology internship at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto. (2010-2011). Between 2012 and 2018, he worked as a research professional at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS) and at Laval University. He joined the School of Psychology at Université Laval as an Assistant Professor in September 2018. His research interests focus on the evaluation, intervention and mobilization of knowledge in neuropsychology of rehabilitation, particularly with adult clients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or a cerebrovascular accident. He also has expertise in the field of sleep disorders, especially insomnia, and geriatric neuropsychology. A member of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec since 2005 and holder of an assessment certificate for neuropsychological disorders since 2012, Mr. Beaulieu-Bonneau is involved in training and supervision in clinical neuropsychology.

Josée Savard, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Université Laval and researcher at CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center and Université Laval Cancer Research Center (Québec, Canada). Her research projects are mainly centered on the psychological aspects of cancer and the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral interventions for improving patients’ quality of life. More specifically, over the past 20 years, she has worked on cancer-related insomnia and she is recognized as an international leader in the study of this issue. She has published extensively on epidemiological aspects of cancer-related insomnia and its non-pharmacological treatment, particularly the efficacy and accessibility of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia. Her research program is financially supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute. In 2014, she received the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Award for Education Excellence and in 2015 she was elected fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association for her significant contribution to the advancement of the science of psychology.

Charles Morin joined the School of Psychology at Laval in 1994, after completing an internship in clinical psychology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (1985-86) and a postdoctoral internship (1986-87) at Virginia Commonwealth University. He then worked as Director of the Center for the Study of Sleep Disorders and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry from 1987 to 1994. His research program focuses on sleep disorders and more particularly on the epidemiology and therapeutic approaches to insomnia. His work is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Sleep Disorders. He is associate editor of Sleep and Behavioral Sleep Medicine and is a member of the editorial board of several other scientific journals. He has been President of the Canadian Sleep Society and the Clinical Section of the Canadian Psychological Association. He is the director of the Center for the Study of Sleep Disorders and is a member of the Research Center of the Mental Health University Institute of Quebec. He was part of a working group of the American Psychiatric Association mandated to review the diagnostic criteria for sleep disorders for the DSM-5. He has received several awards for his exceptional contribution to psychology, including the Noël-Mailloux Award from the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (2004), the Adrien Pinard Award from the Quebec Society for Research in Psychology (2006), the Prix Donald O. Hebb of the Canadian Psychological Association (2009).