Prospective Relationships Between Sleep Problems and Substance Use, Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence 2015-02, Vol.44 (2), p.379-388
• Main Authors: Pieters, Sara, Burk, William J., Van der Vorst, Haske, Dahl, Ronald E., Wiers, Reinout W., Engels, Rutger C. M. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescents; Adults; Age; Alcohol Abuse; Alcohol use; Anxiety disorders; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child development; Circadian rhythm; Clinical Psychology; Drug use; Empirical Research; Female; Females; Health Psychology; History of Psychology; Humans; Insomnia; Law and Psychology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental depression; Models, Statistical; Prospective Studies; Psychology; Puberty; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Schools; Self Report; Sex; Sleep; Sleep deprivation; Sleep disorders; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - complications; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - psychology; Smoking; Substance Abuse; Substance-Related Disorders - etiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Teenagers
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1007/s10964-014-0213-9

While research has shown that sleep problems and substance use are reciprocally associated in adults, much less is known about this association in early adolescence. The main aim of the current longitudinal study was to explore bidirectional relationships between sleep problems, substance use, internalizing and externalizing problems in young adolescents. A prospective design was used incorporating two waves (approximately 1 year interval). A total of 555 young adolescents (290 females, M age = 13.96) participated in this study. All participants completed self-report measures in classrooms during regular school hours (questionnaires about sleep quality and sleep hygiene were used to measure sleep problems). The results indicated that sleep problems predicted changes in substance use, internalizing and externalizing problems over time, but problem behaviours did not predict changes in sleep problems, adjusted for gender, age and puberty. One exception was that alcohol use negatively predicted changes in sleep problems. This study suggests that sleep problems are important precursors of substance use, internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence.