Elsevier

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 123, January 2022, 105390
Child Abuse & Neglect

Family stress during the pandemic worsens the effect of adverse parenting on adolescent sleep quality

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105390Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Adverse parenting is consistently associated with increased sleep problems among adolescents. Shelter-in-Place restrictions and the uncertainty linked to the Covid-19 pandemic have introduced new stressors on parents and families, adding to the risk for youth's sleep problems.

Objective

Using multidimensional assessments of child maltreatment (CM; threat vs. deprivation), the present study examined whether parent-report and child-report of Covid-19 related stress potentiated the effect of CM on sleep problems among boys and girls.

Participants and setting

The study focused on a sample of 124 dyads of adolescents (Mage = 12.89, SD = 0.79; 52% female) and their primary caregivers (93% mothers) assessed before and during the pandemic (May to October 2020).

Method

Data were obtained from both youth and their parents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test all study hypotheses. Simple slopes and Johnson-Neyman plots were generated to probe significant interaction effects.

Results

Deprivation, but not threat, directly predicted increased sleep problems among boys during the pandemic. Additionally, elevation in Covid-19 stress (both parent and child report) intensified the link between CM (threat and deprivation) and sleep problems among boys.

Conclusion

Our findings inform prevention and intervention efforts that aim to reduce sleep problems among boys during stressful contexts, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Covid-19 related stress
Child maltreatment
Multidimensional approach
Sleep problems
Gender differences

Cited by (0)

Funding: Support for this work was provided through Award K01DA045219 (PI: Assaf Oshri) by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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