Reducing Health Disparities for Black Women in the Treatment of Insomnia

Black women are at a higher risk of developing insomnia than other women and insomnia has profound adverse physical and psychological health consequences. There is an internet-delivered treatment program for insomnia that has been shown to be effective in White individuals but there is little evidence of the effectiveness of this treatment among Black women. The goal of this study is to conduct a comparative effectiveness trial of three online insomnia therapies after a 6 month follow-up period--a cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) called SHUTi (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet), SHUTi modified for Black women (SHUTi-BWHS), and patient education (PE) (usual treatment). This study aims to provide the much needed evidence to help Black women make informed decisions regarding treatment for their insomnia.