• Charles Kamen, Sheila N Garland, Charles E Heckler, Anita R Peoples, Ian R Kleckner, Calvin L Cole, Michael L Perlis, Gary R Morrow, Karen M Mustian, and Joseph A Roscoe.
• a Department of Surgery , University of Rochester Medical Center , Rochester , New York.
• Behav Sleep Med. 2019 Jan 1; 17 (1): 70-80.

Objective/BackgroundWhile cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to be efficacious in treating cancer survivors' insomnia, 30-60% of individuals have difficulty adhering to intervention components. Psychosocial predictors of adherence and response to CBT-I, such as social support, have not been examined in intervention studies for cancer survivors.ParticipantsData from a randomized placebo-controlled 2 x 2 trial of CBT-I and armodafinil (a wakefulness promoting agent) were used to assess adherence. Ninety-six cancer survivors participated in the trial (mean age 56, 86% female, 68% breast cancer).MethodsCBT-I and armodafinil were administered over the course of seven weeks, and participants were assessed at baseline, during intervention, postintervention, and at a three-month follow-up. Social support was assessed using a Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy subscale, insomnia severity was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index, and adherence was measured based on CBT-I sleep prescriptions.ResultsAt baseline, social support was negatively correlated with insomnia severity (r = -0.30, p = 0.002) and associations between social support, CBT-I, and insomnia were maintained through the three-month follow-up. Social support was positively associated with adherence to CBT-I during intervention weeks 3, 4, and 5, and with overall intervention adherence. At postintervention, both social support and treatment with CBT-I independently predicted decreased insomnia severity (p < 0.01) when controlling for baseline insomnia severity.ConclusionsHigher social support is associated with better intervention adherence and improved sleep independent of CBT-I. Additional research is needed to determine whether social support can be leveraged to improve adherence and response to CBT-I.

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