Sleep problems, tiredness, and psychological symptoms among healthy adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the contribution of adolescents' sleep problems and tiredness to psychological symptoms after accounting for shared risk and psychological co-morbidity.


METHODS
Secondary analyses of cross-sectional data on 12-16-year-old (N = 980) adolescents without chronic illness, functional limitation, or developmental delay. Adolescents rated sleep problems, tiredness, and psychological symptoms. Parents provided information about risk factors, adolescent tiredness, and psychological symptoms.


RESULTS
Prior to accounting for psychological co-morbidity, most sleep variables were significant correlates of adolescent-, but not parent-rated, psychological symptoms. After accounting for psychological co-morbidity: nightmares were associated with adolescent-rated anxiety/depression; sleeping more than others was associated with adolescent-rated aggression; trouble sleeping was associated with adolescent-rated attention problems, anxiety/depression, and withdrawal; and adolescent-rated tiredness was associated with adolescent-rated aggression and withdrawal.


CONCLUSIONS
Studies examining sleep and psychopathology should control for psychological co-morbidity.
Coulombe
J Aimée
JA
Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
Reid
Graham J
GJ
Boyle
Michael H
MH
Racine
Yvonne
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology