Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1996 Mar;42:426–432.

Enquête sur le traitement de l'insomnie par les omnipraticiens.

Study on insomnia treatment by family physicians

L Baillargeon 1, M Demers 1, J P Grégoire 1, M Pépin 1
PMCID: PMC2146305  PMID: 8616283

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe treatment of insomnia in general practice and to identify family physicians' training needs in this area. DESIGN: Mail survey using Dillman's total design method. PARTICIPANTS: A sampling of 484 general practitioners in the Quebec City area was done to provide roughly equal representation of six practice settings. The response rate was 65%; 295 of the 315 questionnaires returned were selected for analysis. RESULTS: Most physicians reported treating insomnia with general advice and lifestyle changes; 25% reported prescribing hypnotics frequently; 56% reported they prescribed them occasionally. Although 58% often recommend relaxation techniques, only 8% taught these techniques to their patients. Other cognitive and behavioral approaches are rarely used. Most felt that training in treating insomnia should be offered. CONCLUSION: Cognitive and behavioral approaches are very effective approaches are very effective nonpharmacological treatments for insomnia. General practitioners make little use of these treatments that could be easily integrated into clinical practice. Strategies for increasing their use discussed.

Full text

PDF
426

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bixler E. O., Kales A., Soldatos C. R., Kales J. D., Healey S. Prevalence of sleep disorders in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Am J Psychiatry. 1979 Oct;136(10):1257–1262. doi: 10.1176/ajp.136.10.1257. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. File T. M., Jr, Tan J. S. Community-acquired pneumonia. The changing picture. Postgrad Med. 1992 Dec;92(8):197-8, 201-8, 211-4. doi: 10.1080/00325481.1992.11701560. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hohagen F., Rink K., Käppler C., Schramm E., Riemann D., Weyerer S., Berger M. Prevalence and treatment of insomnia in general practice. A longitudinal study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1993;242(6):329–336. doi: 10.1007/BF02190245. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Karacan I., Thornby J. I., Anch M., Holzer C. E., Warheit G. J., Schwab J. J., Williams R. L. Prevalence of sleep disturbance in a primarily urban Florida County. Soc Sci Med. 1976 May;10(5):239–244. doi: 10.1016/0037-7856(76)90006-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Langley G. R., MacLellan A. M., Sutherland H. J., Till J. E. Effect of nonmedical factors on family physicians' decisions about referral for consultation. CMAJ. 1992 Sep 1;147(5):659–666. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Laurier D., Maheux B. Hypercholestérolémie: attitudes et pratiques des omnipraticiens lavallois. Union Med Can. 1993 May-Jun;122(3):176–182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Leclère H., Beaulieu M. D., Bordage G., Sindon A., Couillard M. Why are clinical problems difficult? General practitioners' opinions concerning 24 clinical problems. CMAJ. 1990 Dec 15;143(12):1305–1315. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Legnani D., Lombardo V. M., Negretto G. G., Beghi G., Caratozzolo O. Comparative clinical and microbiological study of amoxycillin-clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin in acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. J Hosp Infect. 1992 Nov;22 (Suppl A):69–74. doi: 10.1016/s0195-6701(05)80009-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mellinger G. D., Balter M. B., Uhlenhuth E. H. Insomnia and its treatment. Prevalence and correlates. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Mar;42(3):225–232. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790260019002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nicassio P. M., Pate J. K., Mendlowitz D. R., Woodward N. Insomnia: nonpharmacologic management by private practice physicians. South Med J. 1985 May;78(5):556–560. doi: 10.1097/00007611-198505000-00015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rademaker C. M., Sips A. P., Beumer H. M., Hoepelman I. M., Overbeek B. P., Möllers M. J., Rozenberg-Arska M., Verhoef J. A double-blind comparison of low-dose ofloxacin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1990 Nov;26 (Suppl 500):75–81. doi: 10.1093/jac/26.suppl_d.75. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES