Sleep Problems in Adolescents Exposed to Violence
Adolescents who have experienced violence in childhood may have an increased risk of sleep disturbances. This study provides new insight into which specific sleep difficulties violence-exposed adolescents experience, and how these are associated with mental health problems.
Original title: Sleep and childhood maltreatment: A matched-control study of sleep characteristics in Norwegian 16–19-year-olds.
Authors: Viktor Schønning, Mari Hysing, Anders Dovran, Sondre A. Nilsen, Gertrud S. Hafstad, Øystein Vedaa, Børge Sivertsen.
Year of publication: 2023.
Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.
Key findings:
- Adolescents exposed to violence took longer to fall asleep, had more and/or longer nighttime awakenings, and had lower sleep efficiency than their peers.
- There were only small differences in the prevalence of insomnia between the groups.
- Mental health problems could explain a large part of the association between experiences of violence and sleep problems.
Results
This study focused on the oldest adolescents (16-18 years) who attended the Stine Sofie Center after being exposed to violence and abuse. These were compared with a control group from Ung@hordaland, a large Norwegian population survey of adolescents of the same age.
The findings confirm that adolescents exposed to violence have a higher prevalence of specific sleep difficulties, and that these often occur simultaneously with mental health problems. The study emphasizes the need to include sleep difficulties in assessments of adolescents with experiences of violence and to offer comprehensive treatment that addresses both mental health problems and sleep disturbances.
Other published articles from the survey
Clear link between violence and poor sleep
This systematic literature review is the first to specifically examine the connection between children expo…
Experience more mental health problems than other children
Children and adolescents who have experienced maltreatment have more mental health problems compared to oth…
Children are not receiving the assistance they require
Children and young people who have experienced violence and abuse during childhood often require extensive …
Health Cohort for Children and Adolescents Exposed to Violence and Abuse
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