COVID-19 and Mental Health (CMH) Initiative: Research

A Systematic Review on The Effectiveness of Virtual Sleep Intervention Delivery to Improve Sleep and Mental Health Outcomes in the Post-Secondary Student Population

Key Messages

  • Post-secondary students are a vulnerable population at risk for both significant sleep problems and mental health.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic poses additional challenges to sleep and mental health for post-secondary. Symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress have increased during this pandemic and are associated with sleep problems.
  • Addressing student sleep problems may also protect students from developing other mental health challenges or improve psychological.
  • Preliminary findings from our knowledge synthesis suggest that online sleep education and digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) are effective in improving sleep and mental health outcomes in the post-secondary student.
  • We will continue to update our findings as we search for more evidence.

Keywords

  • Sleep
  • Post-secondary students
  • Mental health, depression
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Digital interventions
  • Virtual care
  • Telecare
  • Effectiveness
  • Systematic review

Author(s)

  • Nominated Principal Applicant: Efrosini Papaconstantinou, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University; Research Scientist, Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR) at Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)
  • Carol Cancelliere, Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR) at Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF) Research Chair in Knowledge Translation
  • Pierre Côté, Ontario Tech University, Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR) at Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation
  • Krystle Martin, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
  • Ginny Brunton, Ontario Tech University
  • Karima Velji, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
  • Danielle Annamalai, Ontario Tech University, Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR) at Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)
  • Leslie Verville, Ontario Tech University, Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR) at Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)
  • Anne Taylor-Vaisey, Ontario Tech University, Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (CDPR) at Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)

For more information, please contact: Efrosini Papaconstantinou, efrosini.papaconstantinou@ontariotechu.ca

Related Syntheses

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Lay Summary PDF

Population

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Language

To ensure the rapid dissemination of this critical information, information is published in the language in which it was submitted. Please contact us for French or English translations.

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