"Ready for Landing" -study protocol for the evaluation of a brief sleep hygiene group intervention for youth with psychiatric disorders

Paula Theresa Meyer^1*Hannah Brauer¹Clara Marie Schreiber²Pia Muriel Heinze¹Julia Witte^3,4Christoph Berger^3,4Manuel Munz^1,2Alexander Dück^3,4Olaf Reis^3,4Michael Kölch^3,4Alexander Prehn-Kristensen^1,5

• ¹Institute of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Integrative Psychiatry, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
• ²Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Integrative Psychiatry, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• ³Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Neurology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
• ⁴German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), partner site Greifswald/Rostock, site Rostock, Rostock, Germany
• ⁵Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg - University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Hamburg, Germany

Background: Many children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders struggle with sleep problems that oftentimes stay unaddressed in therapeutic settings due to limited resources. Still, there is evidence that improving insufficient sleep positively affects mental health recovery. Addressing an adequate sleep hygiene is named to be the first line of treatment when it comes to unspecific sleep problems. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a brief sleep hygiene group intervention for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders named "Ready for Landing". The intervention is designed to improve sleep quality and elongate sleep duration by explaining the process of falling asleep using the metaphor of an airplane landing. Elements of psychoeducation and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia are combined.The study plans to investigate the efficacy of the intervention using a waitlist control design. A sample of children and adolescents (aged 10-18 years) that are undergoing treatment for psychiatric disorders in day treatment centers in Kiel and Rostock, Germany, will be included. Sleep quality is assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Sleep duration is assessed by using a sleep diary completed by the patients and as well using actigraphy as an objective measure. Analysis of variance will be used to detect treatment effects. Secondary outcomes include variables regarding sleepiness.Discussion: If "Ready for Landing" proves to be efficacious the intervention has the potential to bridge the gap between frequent sleep problems in youth with mental health problems and limited resources to target those. Serving as an effective and economic tool, it could support mental healthcare professionals. It is a promising intervention to support the positive outcome of mental health treatments by improving sleep in children and adolescents.The trial is registered on the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00034984, registered on 13.09.2024, https://www.bfarm.de/Deutsches-Register-Klinischer-Studien.html).