Disseminating sleep education to graduate psychology programs online: A knowledge translation study to improve the management of insomnia

Study objectives Despite the negative impact of poor sleep on mental health, evidence-based insomnia management guidelines have not been translated into routine mental healthcare. Here, we evaluate a state-wide knowledge translation effort to disseminate sleep and insomnia education to graduate psychology programs online using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) evaluation framework. Methods Using a non-randomized waitlist control design, graduate psychology students attended a validated six-hour online sleep education workshop delivered as part of their graduate psychology program in Victoria, Australia. Sleep knowledge, attitudes, and practice assessments were conducted pre- and post-program, with long-term feedback collected at 12 months. Results Seven out of ten graduate psychology programs adopted the workshop (adoption rate = 70%). The workshop reached 313 graduate students, with a research participation rate of 81%. The workshop was effective at improving students’ sleep knowledge and self-efficacy to manage sleep disturbances using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), compared to the waitlist control with medium-to-large effect sizes (all p <.001). Implementation feedback was positive, with 96% of students rating the workshop as very good-to-excellent. Twelve-month maintenance data demonstrated that 83% of students had used the sleep knowledge/skills learned in the workshop in their clinical practice. However, more practical training is required to achieve CBT-I competency. Conclusion Online sleep education workshops can be scaled to deliver cost-effective foundational sleep training to graduate psychology students. This workshop will accelerate the translation of insomnia management guidelines into psychology practice to improve sleep and mental health outcomes nationwide.