Montgomery E, Foldspang A
Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT), Copenhagen, Denmark.
Eur J Public Health. 2001 Mar;11(1):18-22. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/11.1.18.
Sleep disturbance is frequently reported in children after traumatic experiences associated with organised violence. The aim of this study was to identify specific traumatic risk indicators and modifying factors for sleep disturbance among recently arrived refugee children from the Middle East.
The study group comprises 311, 3-15 year old refugee children from the Middle East. On arrival in Denmark, their parents participated in a structured interview about their childrens' health and history of exile and eventual exposure to war, organised violence and human rights violation.
A family history of violence (grandparent's violent death before the birth of the child or parental exposure to torture) as well as a stressful present family situation (father scolds the child more than previously) were the strongest predictors of prevalent sleep disturbance in the children. Arriving in Denmark with both parents rather than one was a modifying factor, so the effect of traumatic experience on sleep patterns later in childhood was mediated through parental presence and behaviour.
This study indicates that the family environment is of primary importance for childhood sleep disturbance following traumatic experiences connected with war and other organised violence.
在与有组织暴力相关的创伤经历后，儿童睡眠障碍的情况屡有报道。本研究旨在确定来自中东的新抵达难民儿童睡眠障碍的特定创伤风险指标及调节因素。
研究组包括311名3至15岁来自中东的难民儿童。抵达丹麦时，他们的父母参与了一项关于孩子健康、流亡历史以及最终接触战争、有组织暴力和侵犯人权情况的结构化访谈。
暴力家族史（孩子出生前祖父母暴力死亡或父母遭受酷刑）以及当前紧张的家庭状况（父亲比以前更频繁地责骂孩子）是儿童普遍存在睡眠障碍的最强预测因素。父母双方而非一方抵达丹麦是一个调节因素，因此创伤经历对童年后期睡眠模式的影响是通过父母的陪伴和行为来介导的。
本研究表明，家庭环境对于与战争及其他有组织暴力相关的创伤经历后的儿童睡眠障碍至关重要。
