Association of sleep with emotional and behavioral problems among abused children and adolescents admitted to residential care facilities in Japan

Sleep and adjustment in foster environments for toddlers and preschoolers (SAFE-T): Initial efficacy of a trauma-informed sleep intervention for young children in foster care

BACKGROUND

This study presents findings from a randomized controlled trial of Sleep and Adjustment in Foster Environments for Toddlers and Preschoolers (SAFE-T), a telehealth-delivered, trauma-informed sleep intervention for children in or adopted from foster care.

METHODS

N = 45 caregivers of children aged 2 to 5 years (M = 4.01; SD = 1.04) were randomized to SAFE-T or Sleep Education Support (SES), an active control condition. Assessments, including one-week parent-report sleep diaries, were completed at pre- intervention, post- intervention, and 3 months follow-up.

RESULTS

Results indicated improvements in multiple sleep outcomes at post-intervention and three months later, including nighttime sleep duration, nighttime awakenings, and overall sleep problems in the SAFE-T group only. Sleep-based improvements were largely maintained or strengthened over time. Several secondary outcomes, including child emotional and behavior problems and parenting stress, also improved considerably in the SAFE-T but not the SES group.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest SAFE-T to be a promising intervention for improving sleep health among children currently or previously placed in foster care.

Characterization of sleep difficulties in maltreated children and adolescents

Numerous studies have identified connections between child maltreatment and sleep-related issues. However, poor is known on potential links between sleep patterns and day-to-day functioning, along with psychopathology in maltreated youths. Additionally, existing research on the relationship between sleep difficulties and maltreatment often lacks investigation into specific sleep difficulty profiles across different age ranges. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of diverse sleep disturbance profiles in a sample of maltreated children and adolescents, exploring distinct sleep disorder profiles based on sex, age, and the type of maltreatment experienced. Potential variations in adaptive and psychopathological profiles between maltreated children with and without sleep disturbances were also explored. This retrospective study included 91 children and adolescents (56% males, 44% females), aged 6 to 17, with a history of maltreatment (physical maltreatment, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, or neglect), referring for a neuropsychiatric and psychological evaluation at a pediatric hospital. Data were obtained through a retrospective file review. Sleep difficulties were measured through the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children; cognitive abilities, adaptive skills, and emotional and behavioral features were also investigated. Among maltreated youth, difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep were the most frequently observed by caregivers. Poor sex differences emerged, whereas adolescents exhibited more daytime somnolence than school-age children. Children with sleep difficulties exhibited more anxiety symptoms and worse global functioning in comparison with children without sleep difficulties.Conclusion: Considering the vital impact of sleep quality on healthy development, practitioners should offer tailored services to child maltreatment victims. Enhancing the sleep quality of these children could help foster their resilience.

Do weighted blankets improve sleep among children with a history of maltreatment? A randomized controlled crossover trial

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Sleep disruption is prevalent and persistent among children who experience maltreatment/interpersonal trauma. Weighted blankets have gained popularity in recent years as a potential nonpharmacological intervention for improving sleep in various populations, but their efficacy has not been examined among maltreated children. The current study used a randomized, within-subjects, crossover design to examine whether the use of a weighted blanket improves objective and/or subjective indices of sleep among 30 children, ages 6-15 years (mean = 9.7, standard deviation = 2.9) adopted from foster care.

METHODS

Participants used a weighted blanket for 2 weeks and their usual (unweighted) blanket for 2 weeks in a counterbalanced order. Sleep outcomes were measured using actigraphy and subjective sleep diaries.

RESULTS

No differences in actigraphy-based or subjective estimates of total sleep time, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, or sleep quality ratings were found based on blanket type. Child age, biological sex, timing of participation (school year vs summer months), and maltreatment/trauma history did not impact outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Although we did not find evidence that weighted blankets improve sleep among children with a history of maltreatment/interpersonal trauma, additional well-controlled studies using larger samples of children are needed.

CITATION

Cifre AB, Vieira A, Baker C, et al. Do weighted blankets improve sleep among children with a history of maltreatment? A randomized controlled crossover trial. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(9):1405-1413.

The time sensitive and dose-responsive association between parental corporal punishment and sleep disturbances in preschoolers: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

To examine whether parental corporal punishment is associated with increased risk of concurrent and later sleep disturbances among preschoolers, and whether the association is time-sensitive or dose-responsive.

METHODS

This 3-year prospective cohort study used data from the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation, Preschool(SCHEDULE-P). Participants were newly enrolled preschoolers in November 2016(wave 1) and followed up in April 2018(wave 2) and April 2019(wave 3). Parents reported the children's corporal punishment experiences and sleep disturbances at each wave survey. Children's risk of sleep disturbances in relation to corporal punishment was examined using logistic regression, adjusting for children's age, gender, emotional/behavioral problems, family annual income, and maternal educational level.

RESULTS

The participants of 19,668 children included 9436(47.98 %) females, with a mean age of 3.73(SD = 0.29) years at wave 1. Exposure to corporal punishment was associated with increased odds of concurrent sleep disturbances at wave 1, 2, and 3 (aOR,1.57; 95 % CI, 1.40-1.75; P < .001; aOR,1.60; 95 % CI, 1.43-1.80; P < .001; aOR,1.74; 95 % CI, 1.54-1.95; P < .001), respectively. Exposure to corporal punishment at any wave of preschool was associated with increased odds of sleep disturbances at wave 3, and the risks were greater for proximal and accumulative corporal punishment exposure.

CONCLUSION

There is a time-sensitive and dose-responsive association between corporal punishment and sleep disturbance among preschoolers, with greater risk of sleep disturbances for proximal and accumulative exposure of corporal punishment. Promoting positive parenting strategies and avoiding corporal punishment can be a promising strategy to prevent and intervene sleep disturbances in preschoolers.

Reported history of childhood trauma, mentalizing deficits, and hypersomnia in adulthood: A mediational analysis in a nonclinical sample

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Existing research has confirmed the link between childhood trauma and poor sleep quality in adulthood. This study focused on the relationship between childhood trauma and hypersomnia specifically, which is understudied. Additionally, childhood maltreatment has been related to mentalizing deficits. The current study examined the role of mentalizing deficits as mediators between childhood trauma and hypersomnia.

METHOD

The study sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 496 individuals, who participated in the online survey, which contained the following measures: Persian version of the Mini Sleep Questionnaire, Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8), and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ).

RESULTS

The results from structural equation modeling indicated that emotional abuse positively predicts hypersomnia. Mediation analysis confirmed that hypo-mentalizing partially mediates the association between emotional abuse and hypersomnia.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides primary evidence that experiencing emotional abuse during childhood is associated with hypersomnia in adulthood. This association underlines the importance of prevention. The result from mediation analysis suggests addressing mentalizing impairments in patients with hypersomnia and a history of emotional abuse may be helpful.

The bridge symptoms of childhood trauma, sleep disorder and depressive symptoms: a network analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of symptom network of childhood trauma (CT) and sleep disorder (SD) in Chinese adolescents, with the influence of depressive symptoms taken into account.

METHOD

A total of 1301 adolescent students were included, and their CT, SD and depressive symptoms were measured using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Central symptoms and bridge symptoms were identified based on centrality indices and bridge centrality indices, respectively. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedure.

RESULTS

In CT and SD symptom network, emotional abuse and sleep quality symptoms had the highest centrality values, and two bridge symptoms, i.e., emotional abuse and sleep disturbance symptoms, were also identified. In symptom network for CT, SD, and depressive symptoms, sleeping difficulty symptoms, daily dysfunction symptoms, and emotional abuse appeared to be potential bridge symptoms. In symptom network of CT, SD, and depressive symptoms (excluding the symptom of sleeping difficulty), daily dysfunction symptoms, emotional abuse, and sleep disturbance symptoms appeared to be bridge symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, emotional abuse and poor sleep quality were found to be central symptoms in the CT-SD network structure among Chinese adolescent students, with daytime dysfunction as the bridge symptom in the CT-SD-depression network structure. Systemic multi-level interventions targeting the central symptoms and bridge symptoms may be effective in alleviating the co-occurrence of CT, SD and depression in this population.

Confronting situations of violence against children and adolescents from the perspective of Guardianship Counselors

OBJECTIVE

To describe the potentialities and limits in confronting situations of violence against children and adolescents seen from the perspective of Guardianship Counselors.

METHOD

Qualitative research, developed with 18 Guardianship Counselors from two municipalities in the central region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were generated between June and July 2021, using the focus group technique, and were subjected to thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

The following were identified as potentialities for combating violence against children and adolescents: denunciations; networking; and media coverage. As limits, we have: naturalization of violence; pandemic of the Covid-19; de-structuring of the intersectoral network; lack of training; and difficulty in developing preventive actions.

CONCLUSION

The Guardianship Councilors require training to act in cases of violence against children and adolescents, as well as support from other sectors, such as health, education, public safety, and social assistance, in order to fully attend to these cases.

The association between child maltreatment and sleep disturbances among preschoolers

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment (CM) can result in lifelong detrimental consequences, but its association with sleep disturbances in young children remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association of CM with sleep disturbances and short sleep duration among Chinese preschoolers.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data were from a representative sample of 17,023 children (6.17 ± 0.29 years old, 51.96% boys) at their graduation year of preschool in September 2019, as a subset of the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation-Preschool (SCHEDULE-P) study.

METHODS

Parents reported children's CM of different types and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk of sleep disturbances and short sleep duration linked to CM.

RESULTS

Of the children, 12,583(73.92%) demonstrated sleep disturbances (CSHQ total score > 41) and 3017(17.72%) demonstrated short sleep duration (<9 h/night). After adjusting covariates, physical abuse (aOR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.05-1.28) and emotional abuse (aOR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.39-1.62) were associated with global sleep disturbances. Physical abuse (aOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.06-1.28), physical neglect (aOR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.12-1.49), and emotional abuse (aOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.09-1.30) were associated with short sleep duration. Sexual abuse was not significantly associated with global sleep disturbances or short sleep duration. A cumulative association was noted that more CM types were associated with increased global sleep disturbances and short sleep duration.

CONCLUSIONS

CM is associated with sleep disturbances and short sleep duration in young children. This highlights the efforts to prevent and reduce CM in favor of optimal sleep and whole health in young children.

Associations between Childhood Maltreatment and Behavioral Sleep Disturbances Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review

Childhood maltreatment has a range of long-term developmental and health consequences. Emerging research suggests that sleep disturbances may be a key behavioral health risk factor implicated in the relationship between maltreatment and poor health across the lifespan. This systematic review examined the association between maltreatment and behavioral sleep disturbances in childhood and adulthood. Studies were identified through PsycINFO, PubMed, and alternative search strategies such as Google Scholar and reference list checks, with an end date of July 2021. Quantitative, peer-reviewed articles examining behavioral sleep outcomes and/or characteristics among maltreatment-exposed samples were included. We assessed the potential risk of bias by examining study design and sleep and maltreatment assessment methods. Across 73 studies included in this review, there was a robust association between childhood maltreatment and behavioral sleep disturbances. Findings suggest that linkages between maltreatment and sleep outcomes diverge with respect to maltreatment characteristics, type of behavioral sleep disturbance assessed, use of subjective versus objective measures, and study design. Given that behavioral sleep disturbances are modifiable, more research is needed that incorporates objective measures of sleep and longitudinal designs to identify specific points of intervention to mitigate the potential long-term impacts of childhood maltreatment on health across socio-demographically diverse populations.

Enfrentamento das situações de violência contra crianças e adolescentes na perspectiva de Conselheiros Tutelares

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever as potencialidades e limites no enfrentamento das situações de violência contra crianças e adolescentes na perspectiva de Conselheiros Tutelares. Método: Pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida com 18 Conselheiros Tutelares de dois municípios da região central do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Os dados foram gerados entre junho e julho de 2021, por meio da técnica de grupo focal, sendo submetidos a análise de conteúdo temática. Resultados: Elencaram-se como potencialidades para o enfrentamento da violência contra crianças e adolescentes: denúncias; atuação em rede; e divulgação midiática. Como limites, tem-se: naturalização da violência; pandemia da Covid-19; desestruturação da rede intersetorial; ausência de capacitações; e dificuldade para desenvolver ações de prevenção. Conclusão Os Conselheiros Tutelares requerem instrumentalização para atuar nos casos de violência contra crianças e adolescentes, bem como o apoio dos demais setores, como saúde, educação, segurança pública e assistência social, de modo a atender integralmente esses casos.

Association between sleep disorders and child violence assessed in Southern Brazil

Aims: identifying sleep disorders (SDs) in children who experienced child maltreatment.Methods: the study evaluated the sleep pattern of 123 children (from 2 to 10 years old), who received assistance with child maltreatment, based on the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) – applied in a medical consultation after confirmation of the veracity of the child’s report of a violation. The study applied the questionnaire to children seen by doctors in the sector for 11 months.Results: among the children evaluated, 66.7% had SDs. The sample profile was predominantly female (59.3%) and aged between 4 and 7 years old (48.8%). Physical violence was found in 40.7% of the children, in addition to sexual (35.8%), psychological (24.4%), negligence (14.6%) and other types of violence (OTV) (4.5%). SDs are significantly associated with sexual, psychological and OTV (p=0.016). Regarding the subscales, there was a significant difference between the age groups in the bedtime resistance (BR) factor score (p=0.033). The BR characteristic typifies sexual, psychological and OTV. Sleep anxiety (SA) typifies more psychological, sexual and OTV. Night awakenings (NAs) typify psychological, sexual and physical violence. According to the type of violence, significant differences were found in SA (p=0.039), NAs (p=0.026) and BR (p=0.004).Conclusions: the outcomes highlight the association between SDs and child maltreatment. Certain types of violence have a greater negative impact on children’s sleep and correlate with specific SD.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Sleep in Children

Sleep quality is one of the domains of sleep. Having adequate quality sleep is defined as one’s “feeling fresh” after waking-up. Inadequate sleep quality results in sleep insufficiency producing a variety of symptoms and signs. The central nervous system is affected the most in children, although other system too may be involved. Several factors affect sleep quality in children including genetics, sleep habits, medical problems, parents/caregiver factors, screen time and the child’s environment. These factors are inter-related and dynamic. The outcome of sleep insufficiency is many involving neurocognitive and neurobehavior, mood and emotional issues and specific conditions, like pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale and obesity. Management should start with proper history taking to identify the multifaceted nature of the condition. Treatment is planned cognizant of the age of the patient and the associated etiological factors, and should involve both the children and their parents.

Trauma-related sleep disturbance in youth

As the occurrence of traumatic events has increased in mainstream media the study of Trauma-Related Sleep Disturbance (TRSD) has gained more traction within the field of sleep health. TRSD is prevalent in youth and can have deleterious outcomes that impact function, yet empirical data that examine this topic are limited. This review seeks to highlight the extant literature focusing on TRSD and to identify critical areas of future research.

Child maltreatment and sleep problems among adolescents in Ontario: A cross sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Child maltreatment has a negative impact on health and well-being. Healthy sleep patterns are an important indicator of health and are particularly important for adolescent growth and development. Few studies examine the relationship between child maltreatment and sleep problems using a general population, adolescent sample. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between five different types of child maltreatment and four sleep outcomes among adolescents.

METHODS

Data were from a subset of the Ontario Child Health Study 2014, a representative sample of 14 to 17- year-olds in Ontario, Canada (n=2,910). Sexual abuse, physical abuse and exposure to intimate partner violence (EIPV) were measured using the Childhood Experiences of Violence Questionnaire (CEVQ). Emotional maltreatment and physical neglect were measured using items derived from survey questions designed for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Sleep outcomes included time it takes to fall asleep, waking during the night, and hours of sleep on weekdays and weekends. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic variables.

RESULTS

Findings indicate that all types of child maltreatment were associated with increased odds of taking more than 10 min to fall asleep (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.21-1.58), waking more often during the night (AOR: 1.62-5.73) and fewer hours slept on weekdays (adjusted beta [AB]: -0.39 to -0.15). Child sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, and EIPV were associated with decreased hours of sleep on weekends (AB: -0.63 to -0.28).

CONCLUSION

Preventing child maltreatment may improve sleep outcomes among adolescents, thereby improving overall health and well- being.