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Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access published online on October 29, 2009
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsp093
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Parental stress is associated with poor sleep quality in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities

Stephen Gallagher, PhD1, Anna C. Phillips, PhD2 and Douglas Carroll, PhD2

1Centre for Health Psychology, Staffordshire University, and2School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Stephen Gallagher, Centre for Health Psychology, Staffordshire University, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, ST4 3DE, England. E-mail: s.gallagher{at}staffs.ac.uk


  Abstract

Objective This study examined the psychosocial predictors of poor sleep quality in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities. Methods Sixty-seven parents of children with developmental disabilities and 42 parents of typically developing children completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and measures of parental stress, child problem behaviors, and social support. Results Parents of children with developmental disabilities reported poorer sleep quality. Further, the majority of these parents met the established ‘poor sleepers’ criterion. The strongest predictor of poor sleep quality was parental stress. This finding withstood adjustment for a number of potential confounders. Conclusions Parental stress is associated with poor sleep quality in parents of children with developmental disabilities. The monitoring and management of sleep issues in these parental caregivers should be a priority for health professionals.

Key words: behavior problems; developmental disabilities; sleep; social support; stress..

Received May 20, 2009; revision received September 17, 2009; accepted September 22, 2009


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