Online sleep therapy to prevent depression during and after pregnancy
Official title: Efficacy of digital cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia for the prevention of perinatal depression
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11402619 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see whether an online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can help prevent depression during pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth for pregnant people with insomnia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $621,933 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH126040-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402619 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people who meet criteria for insomnia disorder but do not currently have depression.
✕Less likely to help
People who already have active major depression, are not pregnant, or do not have insomnia would not be expected to benefit from this prevention-focused program.
What this research studies
If you are pregnant and have insomnia but not current depression, you could join a trial where 498 participants are randomly assigned to either a digital CBT-I program or a credible sleep-education control. The trial is blinded and follows participants from pregnancy through 12 months after birth, with sleep and mood measured at several time points. The therapy is delivered remotely to reduce travel and scheduling burdens and uses standard CBT-I techniques adapted for pregnancy. Researchers will compare new depression rates and sleep improvements between groups to see if treating insomnia lowers the chance of later depression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower rates of perinatal depression by improving prenatal sleep and reducing a key risk factor before symptoms start.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show digital CBT-I effectively treats prenatal insomnia and suggests mood benefits, but no randomized trial has yet proven it prevents perinatal depression.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Felder, Jennifer Nicole — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Felder, Jennifer Nicole
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.