Remote Veteran Insomnia Research Study
Researchers at the University of Southern California are trying to develop mobile apps that can help veterans address problems with sleep and alcohol use.
Fast Facts
Veteran Who Served after 9/11 in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, or Navy
Experience Trouble Sleeping (Insomnia)
Drink Alcohol Frequently
Compensation Provided
Conducted Online
Study Background
Researchers at the University of Southern California are studying how mobile apps can help veterans with both sleep problems and their alcohol use.
Insomnia and concerns about alcohol use are two issues which sometimes co-occur among veterans. Although there are existing apps designed to help veterans who have trouble sleeping, there are none that specifically target both insomnia and alcohol use together to help veterans who are dealing with both of these issues.
As part of this study, participants will spend two weeks using an app which focuses on improving sleeping behaviors. We hope that the feedback we receive from this will help us enhance this app to develop a more effective method of treating both insomnia and alcohol use in veterans in the future.
Study Background
Researchers at the University of Southern California are studying how mobile apps can help veterans with both sleep problems and their alcohol use.
Insomnia and issues with alcohol use are two disorders which often co-occur in veterans. Although there are existing apps designed to help veterans who have trouble sleeping, there are none that specifically target both insomnia and alcohol use together to help veterans who are dealing with both of these problems.
As part of this study, participants will spend two weeks using an app which focuses on improving sleeping behaviors. We hope that the feedback we receive from this will help us enhance this app to develop a more effective method of treating both insomnia and alcohol use in veterans in the future.
Additional Information
There are mobile apps available that aim to help veterans with insomnia, but none that also address alcohol use and sleep, despite the fact that these issues often co-occur. Through this study, we hope to understand how these apps can be enhanced to more effectively treat veterans experiencing trouble with sleep and alcohol use.
You may qualify for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Veterans who served after 9/11 in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, or Navy
- Experience trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Drink alcohol frequently
- Not currently receiving cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or substance use treatment
This study will be conducted remotely. Participants will download an app focused on improving sleep behaviors and use it for two weeks. They will also complete two approximately 20-minute surveys: one prior to downloading the app and the other after using the app for two weeks. Survey responses will be kept confidential. After the two-week period, participants will also complete a secure 60-minute Zoom interview with a member of the research team about their experience with the app. This interview will focus on their opinions of the app and not on personal sleep behaviors or drinking habits.
Participants can receive up to $70 in gift cards, broken down as follows: $20 for the initial online survey, $30 for the Zoom interview after using the app for 2 weeks, and $20 for the online survey completed after the interview.
Gift cards can be used at many online retailers, like Target, Walmart, Amazon, Starbucks, and other retailers that accept Visa gift cards.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.
Please find the contact information for the research study team on the Thank You page after submitting the online screening form to check your eligibility for the study.
You can also contact the study Principal Investigators: Eric Pedersen, Ph.D. at the University of Southern California and Eric Kuhn, Ph.D. at the Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research at sleepusc@usc.edu.
