Integrating sleep care in psychological practice: A survey of Brazilian clinical psychologists and a global bibliometric analysis

Given psychologists' role and the use of psychotherapies for sleep issues, our study explored: (1) whether psychologists inquire about patients' sleep quality and their beliefs regarding the relationship between mental health and biological rhythms, and (2) global trends in psychological approaches through a bibliometric analysis. We analyzed responses from 1011 Brazilian clinical psychologists (October 2018-May 2019) and found that most routinely inquire about sleep quality and address sleep problems, while a small portion did not perceive a direct link between mental disorders and biological rhythms. Behavioral psychotherapy practitioners showed greater interest in sleep quality. The bibliometric analysis revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy had the strongest associations with sleep-related terms compared to other approaches. In conclusion, clinical psychology plays a key role in addressing human health. Given rising concerns about biological rhythms, further exploration across psychological approaches is essential, especially to enhance education in this field.