Sleep disturbance, emotion lability/negativity, and behavioral difficulties in a sample of internationally adopted children

Authors

• Kristin M. Aho*, Eastern Michigan University
• Morgan Daugherty*, Eastern Michigan University
• Angela D. Staples, Eastern Michigan University
• Elisa Esposito, Widener University - Main Campus
• Jamie M. Lawler, Eastern Michigan University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Department/School

Psychology

Publication Title

Adoption Quarterly

Abstract

Although internationally adopted children experience elevated sleep problems and psychosocial difficulties, little research has evaluated predictors and correlates of sleep issues in this population. The current study aims to address gaps in current research by examining associations between pre-adoptive risk, sleep disturbance, emotion lability/negativity, and internalizing and externalizing behavior in a sample of internationally adopted children. Parents completed questionnaires about the children’s (N = 109; M age = 7.9, SD = 1.5; 39.6% male, 60.4% female) history, behavior, and functioning. Results reveal that sleep difficulties and emotion lability/negativity later in childhood mediated the relation between pre-adoptive conditions and internalizing and externalizing behavior in a sample of internationally adopted children. Future studies of internationally adopted children are needed to continue exploring trajectories of sleep problems and other self-regulatory difficulties in this population.

Comments

A. D. Staples and J. M. Lawler are faculty members in EMU's Department of Psychology.

*K. M. Aho and M. Daugherty are doctoral students in EMU's Department of Psychology.

Recommended Citation

Aho, K. M., Daugherty, M., Staples, A. D., Esposito, E., & Lawler, J. M. (2024). Sleep disturbance, emotion lability/negativity, and behavioral difficulties in a sample of internationally adopted children. Adoption Quarterly, 27(4), 409–426. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2023.2217815