Abstract
Sleep problems are common in adolescence with a negative impact on the mental health and functioning of adolescents. However, the roles of different sleep problems in relation to emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs), classified according to the 10th version of the International Classification of Diseases as emotional, conduct, hyperactivity and social functioning disorders, are not clear. The first aim of the study was to investigate the association between difficulties in getting to sleep and EBPs in adolescents. The second aim was to explore the role of sleep duration in this association. We used data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2018 in Slovakia. Presented are results for specific age groups of 13-year-old (N = 1909) and 15-year-old (N = 1293) adolescents. Subjective measures of sleep variables were used. Binary logistic regression models adjusted for age and gender were used to assess associations between difficulties in getting to sleep, sleep duration and EBPs measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Modification of the association between difficulties in getting to sleep and EBPs by sleep duration was also explored. We found that difficulties in getting to sleep at least once a week as well as insufficient sleep (less than 8 h) increased the probability of EBPs. Interactions of sleep duration with difficulties in getting to sleep on EBPs were found to be non-significant. The results suggest that caregivers and clinicians should screen and intervene for both sleep quality and quantity problems in adolescents as they might indicate and promote EBPs.
Highlights
We found that difficulties in getting to sleep at least once a week as well as insufficient sleep increased the probability of Emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs)
Emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs) in adolescents refer to the group of disorders classified according to the 10th revision of International Classification of Diseases as “Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence” (F90-F98) including hyperkinetic disorders, conduct disorders, emotional disorders, disorders of social functioning and tic disorders [1]
We found difficulties in getting to sleep to be significantly associated with EBPs in adolescents, with difficulties at least once a week increasing the probability of EBPs
Summary
Emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs) in adolescents refer to the group of disorders classified according to the 10th revision of International Classification of Diseases as “Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence” (F90-F98) including hyperkinetic disorders, conduct disorders, emotional disorders, disorders of social functioning and tic disorders [1]. EBPs which are common in adolescence with prevalence of 10%–25% can have long-lasting consequences for adolescents and for their families and society as a whole [2,3]. Optimal sleep quantity and quality is essential for the mental health, adequate functioning and well-being of adolescents [4,5]. 30% to 50% of adolescents sleep less than recommended [6,7,8,9] and the prevalence of sleep difficulties, manifested as difficulties in falling or staying asleep, range from 10%. Public Health 2020, 17, 1691; doi:10.3390/ijerph17051691 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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