Externalizing Behaviors and Callous-Unemotional Traits: Different Associations With Sleep Quality

TY - JOUR

T1 - Externalizing Behaviors and Callous-Unemotional Traits

T2 - Different Associations With Sleep Quality

AU - Denis, Dan

AU - Akhtar, Reece

AU - Holding, Benjamin C.

AU - Murray, Christina

AU - Panatti, Jennifer

AU - Claridge, Gordon

AU - Sadeh, Avi

AU - Barclay, Nicola L.

AU - O'Leary, Rachael

AU - Maughan, Barbara

AU - McAdams, Tom A.

AU - Rowe, Richard

AU - Eley, Thalia C.

AU - Viding, Essi

AU - Gregory, Alice M.

PY - 2017/8/1

Y1 - 2017/8/1

N2 - Study Objectives: Sleep quality is associated with different aspects of psychopathology, but relatively little research has examined links between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors or callous-unemotional traits. We examined: (1) whether an association exists between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors; (2) whether anxiety mediates this association; (3) whether callous-unemotional traits are associated with sleep quality.Methods: Data from two studies were used. Study 1 involved 1556 participants of the G1219 study aged 18-27 years (62% female). Questionnaire measures assessed sleep quality, anxiety, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. Study 2 involved 338 participants aged 18-66 years (65% female). Questionnaires measured sleep quality, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. In order to assess objective sleep quality, actigraphic data were also recorded for a week from a subsample of study 2 participants (n = 43).Results: In study 1, poorer sleep quality was associated with greater externalizing behaviors. This association was partially mediated by anxiety and moderated by levels of callous-unemotional traits. There was no significant relationship between sleep quality and callous-unemotional traits. In study 2, poorer sleep quality, as assessed via self-reported but not objective measures, was associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, in study 2, better sleep quality (indicated in both questionnaires and actigraphy measures: lower mean activity, and greater sleep efficiency) was associated with higher levels of callous-unemotional traits.Conclusions: Self-reports of poorer sleep quality are associated with externalizing behaviors, and this association is partially mediated by anxiety. Callous-unemotional traits are not associated with poor sleep and may even be related to better sleep quality. This is an exceptional finding given that poor sleep quality appears to be a characteristic of most psychopathology.

AB - Study Objectives: Sleep quality is associated with different aspects of psychopathology, but relatively little research has examined links between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors or callous-unemotional traits. We examined: (1) whether an association exists between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors; (2) whether anxiety mediates this association; (3) whether callous-unemotional traits are associated with sleep quality.Methods: Data from two studies were used. Study 1 involved 1556 participants of the G1219 study aged 18-27 years (62% female). Questionnaire measures assessed sleep quality, anxiety, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. Study 2 involved 338 participants aged 18-66 years (65% female). Questionnaires measured sleep quality, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. In order to assess objective sleep quality, actigraphic data were also recorded for a week from a subsample of study 2 participants (n = 43).Results: In study 1, poorer sleep quality was associated with greater externalizing behaviors. This association was partially mediated by anxiety and moderated by levels of callous-unemotional traits. There was no significant relationship between sleep quality and callous-unemotional traits. In study 2, poorer sleep quality, as assessed via self-reported but not objective measures, was associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, in study 2, better sleep quality (indicated in both questionnaires and actigraphy measures: lower mean activity, and greater sleep efficiency) was associated with higher levels of callous-unemotional traits.Conclusions: Self-reports of poorer sleep quality are associated with externalizing behaviors, and this association is partially mediated by anxiety. Callous-unemotional traits are not associated with poor sleep and may even be related to better sleep quality. This is an exceptional finding given that poor sleep quality appears to be a characteristic of most psychopathology.

KW - actigraphy

KW - antisocial

KW - callous-unemotional

KW - externalizing

KW - psychopathology

KW - sleep

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033403637&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/sleep/zsx070

DO - 10.1093/sleep/zsx070

M3 - Article

C2 - 28575510

AN - SCOPUS:85033403637

SN - 0161-8105

VL - 40

JO - Sleep

JF - Sleep

IS - 8

ER -