TY  - JOUR
AU  - Tadros, Michelle
AU  - Li, Sophie
AU  - Upton, Emily
AU  - Newby, Jill
AU  - Werner-Seidler, Aliza
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/8/24
TI  - Preferences of University Students for a Psychological Intervention Designed to Improve Sleep: Focus Group Study
JO  - JMIR Hum Factors
SP  - e44145
VL  - 10
KW  - university students
KW  - sleep difficulties
KW  - intervention
KW  - student needs
KW  - insomnia
KW  - treatment
KW  - focus group
KW  - intervention design
KW  - sleep
KW  - sleep medicine
KW  - student
KW  - university
KW  - college
KW  - post secondary
KW  - psychological
KW  - psychotherapy
KW  - help-seeking
KW  - polysomnography
AB  - Background: Many university students have difficulties with sleep; therefore, effective psychological treatments are needed. Most research on psychological treatments to improve sleep has been conducted with middle-aged and older adults, which means it is unclear whether existing psychological treatments are helpful for young adult university students. Objective: This study aimed to discover university student preferences for a psychological intervention to improve sleep quality. Methods: Focus groups were conducted over 3 stages to examine students’ views regarding content, format, and session duration for a psychological intervention to improve sleep. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze participant responses. Results: In total, 30 participants attended small focus group discussions. Three key themes were identified: (1) program development, (2) help-seeking, and (3) student sleep characteristics. Program development subthemes were program format, program content, and engagement facilitators. Help-seeking subthemes were when to seek help, where to access help, stigma, and barriers. Student sleep characteristics subthemes were factors disturbing sleep and consequences of poor sleep. Conclusions: Students emphasized the need for a sleep intervention with an in-person and social component, individualized content, and ways to monitor their progress. Participants did not think there was a stigma associated with seeking help for sleep problems. Students identified the lack of routine in their lifestyle, academic workload, and the pressure of multiple demands as key contributors to sleep difficulties. 
SN  - 2292-9495
UR  - https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2023/1/e44145
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/44145
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37616036
DO  - 10.2196/44145
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/44145
ER  -