Premium
Sleep Problems in Children of Affectively Ill Mothers
Author(s) -
Stoléru Serge,
Nottelmann Editha D.,
Belmont Barbara,
Ronsaville D.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01601.x
Subject(s) - psychology , sleep (system call) , developmental psychology , psychiatry , computer science , operating system
The objective of the study was to determine whether the frequency and severity of sleep problems were greater in children of affectively ill mothers than in children of control mothers. Sleep problems were studied in children of mothers with a diagnosis of unipolar ( N = 38) and bipolar ( N = 23) affective illness and children of mothers with no current or past psychiatric diagnosis ( N = 24). Mothers' reports on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were obtained three times, 4 years apart, on sibling pairs (ages 1.5–3.5 and 5–8 years, respectively, at first assessment). In addition, on the third assessment, the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents was filled out by mothers and children. In both siblings, sleep problems, as assessed through the CBCL, were more frequent and severe in children of affectively ill mothers. In younger siblings, the persistence of sleep problems was more frequent in children of affectively ill mothers. Co‐occurrence of sleep problems among siblings was more frequent in children of affectively ill mothers than in those of control mothers.