Tang Meiling, Li Min, Huang Meijiao, Liu Lu, Zhu Linping, Chen Yongjun
The Affiliated NanhuaHospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421002, People's Republic of China.
The Affiliated NanhuaHospital, Hengyang Medical College, Department of Pediatrics, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421002, People's Republic of China.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2025 Apr 12;18:917-927. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S495629. eCollection 2025.
To investigate the association among sleep problems in autistic children, emotional symptom in autistic children and parenting stress.
This study recruited a total of 292 children with autism in two special education schools in Hunan province, China. The average age of the autistic children in this study was 6.5 ± 2.8 years. Sleep problems in autistic and parenting stress were measured by Youth Self-Rating Insomnia Scale (YSIS), Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), and The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF-15). The main analysis included latent profile analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, and mediation analysis.
The prevalence for sleep disturbance and insomnia symptoms in autistic children were 38.7% and 13.0%, respectively. Parenting stress was divided into three groups: low-risk group (81 participants, 28%), middle-risk group (134 participants, 46%), and high-risk group (77 participants, 26%). Sleep problems (insomnia and sleep disturbance) and emotional symptoms (anxiety and depression) in children with autism were risk factors for parental stress. Depressive symptom in autistic children was significant in mediating the relationship between insomnia symptoms and parenting stress.
There is a significant effect of sleep problems in autistic children, as these sleep issues can substantially increase parental stress, with depressive symptoms in autistic children serving as a positive mediator.
探讨自闭症儿童睡眠问题、自闭症儿童情绪症状与育儿压力之间的关联。
本研究在中国湖南省的两所特殊教育学校共招募了292名自闭症儿童。本研究中自闭症儿童的平均年龄为6.5±2.8岁。采用青少年自评失眠量表（YSIS）、儿童睡眠障碍量表（SDSC）和育儿压力指数简表（PSI-SF-15）来测量自闭症儿童的睡眠问题和育儿压力。主要分析包括潜在剖面分析、多因素逻辑回归分析和中介分析。
自闭症儿童睡眠障碍和失眠症状的患病率分别为38.7%和13.0%。育儿压力分为三组：低风险组（81名参与者，28%）、中风险组（134名参与者，46%）和高风险组（77名参与者，26%）。自闭症儿童的睡眠问题（失眠和睡眠障碍）和情绪症状（焦虑和抑郁）是父母压力的危险因素。自闭症儿童的抑郁症状在介导失眠症状与育儿压力之间的关系中具有显著作用。
自闭症儿童的睡眠问题具有显著影响，因为这些睡眠问题会大幅增加父母压力，自闭症儿童的抑郁症状起到了正向中介作用。
