ERIC Number: EJ1464116
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2024-03-25
The Connection between Sleep Problems and Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Autistic Children: A Network Analysis
Lucy Sommers1,7; Nicole Papadopoulos2,3; Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz1; Emma Sciberras1,4,5; Jane McGillivray1; Patricia Howlin6; Nicole Rinehart2
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n4 p1159-1171 2025
The interactions between sleep problems, autism symptoms and emotional and behavioural difficulties were explored using network analysis in 240 autistic children (mean age: 8.8 years, range 5-13 years) with moderate to severe sleep problems. Findings revealed a highly connected and interpretable network, with three separate clusters identified of the modelled variables. Depression, anxiety and behavioural difficulties were the most central variables of the network. Depression, anxiety and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns behaviours (RRBs) were the strongest bridging variables in the network model, transmitting activation both within and between other symptom clusters. The results highlight that depression and anxiety were highly connected symptoms within the network, suggesting support in these areas could be helpful, as well as future research.
Descriptors: Sleep, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Emotional Problems, Behavior Problems, Children, Early Adolescents, Depression (Psychology), Anxiety, Networks, Foreign Countries, Individual Characteristics, Correlation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Developmental Behavior Checklist
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Deakin University, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; 2Faculty of Education, Monash University, Monash Krongold Clinic, Clayton, Australia; 3Monash University, School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Clayton, Australia; 4Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; 5University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Parkville, Australia; 6King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK; 7Deakin University, School of Psychology, Burwood, Australia