Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on November 8, 2007
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2008 33(4):339-348; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsm105
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The Interplay of Sleep Disturbance, Anxiety, and Depression in Children
1West Virginia University, 2David Grant Medical Center, US Air Force, and 3University of Nebraska Medical Center
All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tracy L. Morris, PhD, West Virginia University Department of Psychology, 1124 Life Sciences Bldg, Morgantown, WV 26506-6040, USA. E-mail: tracy.morris{at}mail.wvu.edu
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Objective To review and critically evaluate the association between sleep, anxiety, and depression in children and provide recommendations for future research. Methods A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and PsychINFO computerized databases and bibliographies of relevant articles. Results A surprisingly small but growing research base exists on the relation between sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression in pediatric populations. Existing research indicates a significant symptom overlap between anxiety, depression, and sleep. This overlap may complicate proper assessment and treatment of children with these disorders. Conclusions Future research should ensure adequate assessment for symptoms of anxiety and depression when examining sleep disturbance in children. Likewise, research on anxiety and depression should include assessment for symptoms of disturbed sleep. Bridging the gap between these literatures should provide further insights into the etiologies of these disorders, increase symptom detection, and improve the clinical care of children and their families.
Key words: anxiety; children; depression; sleep disorder.
Received April 30, 2007; revision received July 25, 2007; accepted October 9, 2007