Abstract
Introduction
Trainee psychologists receive limited sleep and insomnia education during postgraduate study. This study examined the delivery of a sleep psychology training workshop for postgraduate psychology students and examined changes in sleep knowledge from pre- to post-workshop.
Methods
A 6-hour Sleep Psychology Workshop was delivered to postgraduate psychology students around Victoria. Online pre- and post-workshop questionnaires were used to evaluate changes in sleep psychology knowledge and collect feedback on the workshop.
Results
The participants were 187 students (82% female, M age = 32), most of whom were in their 5th year of psychology training (69%) and had not received any sleep education during their postgraduate studies at the date of the intervention (77%). Students’ sleep knowledge significantly improved after workshop completion (pre: 56% vs. post: 80% correct), t(107)= -21.41, p < .001. Students provided positive feedback about the workshop, with 96% rating the workshop as excellent/very good and 86% reporting that they would recommend the workshop to other postgraduate students. Overall, 94% of students agreed/strongly agreed that the sleep psychology workshop improved their confidence to manage sleep disturbances in their future psychology practice.
Discussion
Postgraduate psychology students require sleep and insomnia education. This study demonstrates that students’ sleep psychology knowledge can improve after a 6-hour sleep education and training workshop and provides initial positive feedback about the benefits of sleep and insomnia education for postgraduate students.