Citation

McMakin DL, Ricketts EJ, Forbes EE, Silk JS, Ladouceur CD, Siegle GJ, Milbert M, Trubnick L, Cousins JC, Ryan ND, Harvey AG, Dahl RE. J. Clin. Child Adolesc. Psychol. 2019; 48(Suppl 1): S284-S297.

Affiliation

School of Public Health , University of California , Berkeley.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15374416.2018.1463534

PMID

29873503

Abstract

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in anxious youth and prospectively predicts poor emotional adjustment in adolescence. Study 1 examined whether anxiety treatment improves subjective and objective sleep disturbance in anxious youth. Study 2 examined whether a sleep intervention called Sleeping TIGERS can further improve sleep following anxiety treatment. Study 1 examined 133 youth (ages 9-14; 56% female; 11% ethnic/racial minority) with generalized, social, or separation anxiety over the course of anxiety treatment (cognitive behavioral treatment or client-centered treatment). Sleep-related problems (parent-, child-report) and subjective (diary) and objective (actigraphy) sleep patterns were assessed across treatment in an open trial design. Study 2 included 50 youth (ages 9-14; 68% female; 10% ethnic/racial minority) who continued to report sleep-related problems after anxiety treatment and enrolled in an open trial of Sleeping TIGERS. Pre- and postassessments duplicated Study 1 and included the Focal Interview of Sleep to assess sleep disturbance. Study 1 demonstrated small reductions in sleep problems and improvements in subjective sleep patterns (diary) across anxiety treatment, but outcomes were not deemed clinically significant, and 75% of youth stayed above clinical cutoff. Study 2 showed clinically significant, large reductions in sleep problems and small changes in some subjective sleep patterns (diary). Anxiety treatment improves, but does not resolve, sleep disturbance in peri-pubertal youth, which may portend risk for poor emotional adjustment and mental health. The open trial provides preliminary support that Sleeping TIGERS can improve sleep in anxious youth to a clinically significant degree.

Language: en