Department of Psychology

Biography:

Keywords: insomnia; depression; rumination; cognition and mood

Our lab specializes in the study of sleep and mood disorders, most notable unipolar depression and insomnia. The Ryerson Sleep and Depression Laboratory is located in the Psychology Research and Training Centre, 105 Bond Street. Staying true to Ryerson’s technological roots, we have state-of-the-art research and clinical facilities, including a two-bedroom psychophysiologic laboratory for overnight sleep studies, ambulatory sleep and activity actigraphs, therapy and observation rooms, interactive voice response software and computerized cognitive and emotional assessment batteries. The current research of the program focuses on the relation between cognition, mood and sleep in a variety of psychiatric and medical populations. There are specific interests in: 1) cognitive vulnerability to insomnia and depression (e.g., symptom-focused rumination and sleep-related beliefs), 2) the etiological role of insomnia in depression, 3) hyperarousal in insomnia, and 4) the relation between sleep and stress. We are analyzing data from a study of the relation between sleep, self-reported arousal and psychophysiological measures of arousal (e.g., heart rate variability and spectral EEG). We are also looking at cognitive moderators of the relation between poor sleep quality and mood disturbance. The vulnerabilities of particular interest to me are: 1) tendencies to ruminate on symptoms in response to poor sleep quality, 2) maladaptive beliefs about sleep, and 3) cognitive reactivity. I am exploring the above-mentioned cognitive vulnerabilities in clinical insomnia patients, as well as those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, those with Fibromyalgia, and those with Major Depression. My teaching interests include psychopathology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and clinical research methods. I am very excited to work with students, and will have opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.  Students in my lab have the opportunity to learn about clinical research, how to assess for sleep disorders, behavioural sleep medicine techniques, as well as CBT for insomnia and CBT for depression.

Selected Publications

Carney, C. E., Buysse, D.J., Ancoli-Israel, S., Edinger, J.D.,  Krystal, A. D., Lichstein, K.L., & Morin, C.M. (2012). The Consensus Sleep Diary: Standardizing prospective sleep self-monitoring. Sleep, 35(2):287-302.

Harris, A.L., & Carney, C.E. (2012). Can We Modify Maladaptive Attributions for Fatigue? Cognitive Behaviour  Therapy, 41, 1, 40-50.

Carney, C.E., & Edinger, J.D. (2010). Insomnia and Anxiety. Springer, NY.

Carney, C.E., & Manber, R. (2009). Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep: Solutions to Insomnia for those with Depression, Anxiety and Chronic Pain.  New Harbinger Press: Oakland, CA. 

Carney, C.E., Harris, A.L., Moss, T., & Edinger, J.D. (2010). Distinguishing rumination from worry in clinical insomnia.  Behavior Research and therapy, 48, 540-546. 

Carney, C.E., Edinger, J.D., Morin, C.M., Manber, R., Rybarcyk, B., Stepanski, E., Lack, L., Wright, H. (2010). Examining maladaptive beliefs about sleep across insomnia patient groups. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 68, 1, 57-65.

Edinger, J, D, & Carney, C.E. (2008). Overcoming Insomnia: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Therapist Guide. Oxford University Press.

Carney, C.E., Segal, Z, V, Edinger, J, D, Krystal, A, D. (2007). A comparison of rates of residual insomnia symptoms following pharmacotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68, 2, 254-60.

Carney, C.E., Edinger, J, D, Manber, R, Garson, C, & Segal, Z, V. (2007). Beliefs about sleep in disorders characterized by sleep and mood disturbance. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 62, 2, 179-88.

Carney, C.E., Edinger, J, D, Meyer, B, Lindman, L, & Istre, T. (2006). Symptom-focused rumination and sleep disturbance. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 4, 4, 228-41.

Carney, C.E., & Edinger, J, D. (2006). Identifying critical beliefs about sleep in primary insomnia. Sleep, 29, 4, 444-53.