• Isabel Torrens, Marina Ortuño, Juan Ignacio Guerra, Magdalena Esteva, and Patricia Lorente.
• Centro de Salud Calviá, Unidad Docente de Atención Familiar y Comunitaria, Gerencia AP Mallorca, Ibsalut, Calviá, Islas Baleares, España. Electronic address: itorrens@ibsalut.caib.es.
• Aten Primaria. 2016 Jun 1; 48 (6): 374382374-82.

ObjectivesTo describe the current clinical management of insomnia by family physicians.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingMajorca Health Area, 2011-2012.ParticipantsFamily physicians (FP). Paediatricians, resident physicians and emergency physicians were excluded.MeasurementsUsing a self-administered questionnaire, the following variables were collected: social, demographic, professional, training in insomnia, prescription preferences, and its clinical management.ResultsA total of 322 of 435 physicians answered (74%), of whom 55% were female. The mean age was 48 years with a mean of 21 years in the profession. Most of them consider insomnia as a major health problem, and refer to asking patients about sleep habits and its impact on daily life. About one third have been trained in insomnia in the last 5 years. Very few (0.6%) refers patients to a psychiatrist, and 1.9% to a psychologist. The most prescribed drugs are benzodiazepines (33.4%) and Z drugs (25.7%), with 69.4% of them claiming to have checked the treatment after month of onset. Most refer to advice about sleep hygiene measures (85.1%), 15.1% prescribe herbal remedies, and 14.2% behavioural cognitive therapy (CBT). Seven out of ten physicians consider CBT as effective and applicable by both physicians and nurses. The older FPs prescribe benzodiazepines with less frequency, while female FPs prescribe more sleep hygiene measures and herbal remedies.ConclusionsMost FPs consider insomnia as a major health problem, in which they usually get involved. The most commonly used treatments are sleep hygiene advice, followed by benzodiazepines and Z drugs. The CBT is considered effective but not widely used.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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