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Investigating the Longitudinal Relation Between Sleep Disturbance and Depressive Symptoms in Late childhood: The Moderating Effects of Social Support.
Wright, Kat
Wright, Kat
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Abstract
Background
Sleep disturbances among children and adolescents has been estimated to be as high as 50% (Williamson et al. 2019). Unfortunately, most research focuses on adolescents, leaving a gap in the literature examining late-childhood aged children. Findings and treatments developed for adolescents and adults may not apply to pre-adolescents because of age-related changes in sleep issues and developmental differences in cognitive abilities (Gregory et al., 2008). Thus, it is imperative to investigate both the outcomes of sleep disturbances and buffers to promote healthy development within the late childhood age group.
Higher depression scores in late childhood is common and may result from lack of sleep, as this relation has been found in adolescents (Morrison et al., 1992). Bowlby’s (1973) attachment theory underscores the importance of a supportive environment and how that contributes to children’s emotional wellbeing. Social support from teachers and school staff (e.g., showing of appreciation for a student, being attuned to a student’s needs, and being available to spend time with a student) can promote students’ emotional confidence and coping skills and may serve as a protective factor against depressive symptoms for late-childhood children (Gariepy & Quesnel-Vallee, 2016; Weyns, 2018). Consequently, it is hypothesized that that sleep disturbances will be linked longitudinally with depressive symptoms, but will be moderated by social support from teachers.
Methods
A sample of 166 children (ages 8-11, grades 3-5) served as participants. These children completed self-report measures of demographic information (age and gender), 2 items of
perceived social support within the school (The Social Support Scale), 3 items about sleep disturbances (Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS), and 13 items about depressive symptoms (Short Mood and Feeling Questionnaire) at two time points (Fall (T1) and Spring (T2)) of the same academic school year.
Results
Longitudinal path models were estimated with sleep disturbance, school-based social
support, and their interaction at Time 1 serving as the predictors of Time 2 depressive symptoms. Higher sleep disturbance scores (B=.19, p<.01) and lower social support scores (B=-.05, p<..05), but not their interaction (B=.027), at Time 1 forecasted Time 2 depressive symptoms. When Time 1 depressive symptoms were controlled in subsequent analyses, there were no significant effects.
Conclusions
Longitudinal analyses suggest that sleep disturbances and social support, but not their interaction, forecast later depressive symptoms. However, when more rigorous analyses (i.e., controlling for Time 1 depressive symptoms) were conducted, significant results did not emerge, likely due to the strong relation between Time 1 and 2 depressive symptoms (B=.71). Future research should explore a more comprehensive measure of social support (i.e., examining both home and school support).
Description
This poster was presented at ADAA on 04/04/2025.
Date
2025-04-04
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Depressive symptoms, Sleep disturbance, Social support, Late childhood