ERIC Number: EJ1471349
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1087-0547
EISSN: EISSN-1557-1246
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Sleep Disturbances, ADHD, and Self-Harm among Youth
Journal of Attention Disorders, v29 n8 p635-644 2025
Objective: Previous studies have linked ADHD with self-harm, but the processes underlying this association are not fully understood. This research aims to investigate the role of sleep disturbances as a potential pathway between ADHD diagnosis and self-harm behaviors. Materials and Methods: The study included 90 youth aged between 11 and 18 years, divided into two groups: a case group of 45 youth diagnosed with ADHD and a control group of 45 youth without ADHD. Both groups completed the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury to evaluate self-harm behaviors and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children to assess sleep disturbances. A path analysis was conducted to examine whether a significant proportion of the association between ADHD and self-harm was shared with sleep disturbances, while controlling for gender, youth education, family income, maternal education, and overall anxiety and depression scores. Results: An ADHD diagnosis was significantly associated with sleep disturbances ([beta] = 0.62, p < 0.001) and self-harm behaviors ([beta] = 0.35, p = 0.03). Additionally, sleep disturbances were significantly linked to self-harm ([beta] = 0.51, p = 0.002) and played a significant role in the association between ADHD and self-harm (indirect effect [beta] = 0.32, p = 0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that sleep disturbances account for a substantial proportion of the shared variance in the association between ADHD and self-harm. While the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretations, these results highlight the importance of addressing sleep issues in clinical care for ADHD to potentially reduce self-harm risks and improve outcomes for at-risk youth.
Descriptors: Sleep, Self Destructive Behavior, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Clinical Diagnosis, Rating Scales, Adolescents, Preadolescents, Measures (Individuals), Family Income, Gender Differences, Mothers, Educational Attainment, Anxiety, Depression (Psychology), Correlation, Attribution Theory, Intervention, At Risk Persons, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Conners Rating Scales
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Türkiye; 2University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA