China News Service, Hong Kong, March 4 (Reporter Han Xingtong) The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) announced on the 4th that it had worked with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Laval University in Canada to conduct the world’s first “prevention of insomnia” for high-risk youths. "Randomized controlled research program, the results proved that the program can effectively reduce the risk of insomnia in adolescents during the one-year follow-up period by 71%.

　　According to CUHK, as many as 10% to 36% of adolescents will experience insomnia during adolescence.

Once the insomnia problem occurs, it will often evolve into a chronic disease, which brings great distress and health burden to patients.

　　The Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, together with the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong, and the Faculty of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, conducted the world’s first “prevention of insomnia” randomized controlled research program for high-risk youths. All have a family history of insomnia and mild symptoms of insomnia.

　　From 2015 to 2017, the research team invited 242 adolescents (average age 15 years old, female 57%) who were studying in local middle schools to participate in the study. Eligible adolescents were randomly assigned to the cognitive behavioral insomnia prevention group and the control group. There were 121 people in each group.

　　The results showed that the incidence of insomnia in the cognitive behavior prevention insomnia group was only 5.8%, which was much lower than the 20.7% in the control group, and the risk of insomnia was 71% lower than that in the control group.

The research team also found that the total sleep time of adolescents in the insomnia prevention group has increased, their daytime sleepiness has also been improved, and they have cultivated good sleep hygiene habits.

　　Chen Yinyan, a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of CUHK, said that the results of the study show that this project is feasible and easy to accept for young people.

Chen Yinyan believes that this study provides new and encouraging evidence that simple and short cognitive behavior group learning can effectively prevent insomnia in high-risk adolescents.

　　Rong Runguo, head of the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, CUHK, said that the "Insomnia Prevention Program" not only reduces the risk of insomnia in high-risk young people in the future, but also improves the risk factors associated with insomnia.

　　Rong Runguo said that because insomnia is very common and has a long-term negative impact on patients, the team is excited about the results of the study.

I look forward to further discussing the implementation of the "Insomnia Prevention Program" at the public level and evaluating the impact of the program on reducing future medical burdens.

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