Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms
Abstract Background Childhood trauma is a pervasive issue contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. Obtaining optimal sleep supports healthy development and protects against mood-related disorders. Whether sleep serves as a potential buffer between trauma and adverse mental health outcomes hol...
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2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21621-x |
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| author | Toni Coote Emma Barrett Lucinda Grummitt |
| author_facet | Toni Coote Emma Barrett Lucinda Grummitt |
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| description | Abstract Background Childhood trauma is a pervasive issue contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. Obtaining optimal sleep supports healthy development and protects against mood-related disorders. Whether sleep serves as a potential buffer between trauma and adverse mental health outcomes holds promise for informing targeted interventions and prevention for adolescents. Methods Data were drawn from the baseline assessment of a randomised controlled trial of a mental health prevention program. A total sample of 752 adolescents completed an online, self-report survey in 2023. Participants were students (Mage=13.8 years), attending independent schools in Australia and comprised of 37% girls and 60% boys. Australian sleep guidelines were used to dichotomise nightly sleep duration into whether adolescents met, or did not meet, the sleep guidelines for their age. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to examine whether sleep moderated the association between trauma and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and mental wellbeing. Results The majority of participants (82%) reported exposure to at least one traumatic event. The mean number of traumatic events was 1.8. Trauma was independently associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower mental wellbeing scores. Those reporting exposure to one or more traumatic events were more likely to report difficulties falling asleep and less likely to report meeting nightly sleep duration guidelines. We found a significant interaction between meeting nightly sleep duration guidelines and any trauma exposure on depressive and anxiety scores, such that depression and anxiety symptoms were lower in trauma-exposed adolescents who met sleep duration guidelines compared to those who did not meet sleep guidelines. Conclusions Obtaining optimal amounts of sleep each night may help mitigate anxiety and depressive symptoms for non-clinical adolescents exposed to trauma, however, longitudinal research is needed to confirm the directionality of the relationships between trauma, sleep, and mental health symptoms. Future research should examine the effectiveness of public health interventions targeting sleep behaviours in adolescents to promote mental wellbeing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49446701abbc41bf9eecfa705c408c8f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-49446701abbc41bf9eecfa705c408c8f2025-02-09T12:58:10ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-02-0125111510.1186/s12889-025-21621-xSleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptomsToni Coote0Emma Barrett1Lucinda Grummitt2The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of SydneyThe Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of SydneyThe Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of SydneyAbstract Background Childhood trauma is a pervasive issue contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. Obtaining optimal sleep supports healthy development and protects against mood-related disorders. Whether sleep serves as a potential buffer between trauma and adverse mental health outcomes holds promise for informing targeted interventions and prevention for adolescents. Methods Data were drawn from the baseline assessment of a randomised controlled trial of a mental health prevention program. A total sample of 752 adolescents completed an online, self-report survey in 2023. Participants were students (Mage=13.8 years), attending independent schools in Australia and comprised of 37% girls and 60% boys. Australian sleep guidelines were used to dichotomise nightly sleep duration into whether adolescents met, or did not meet, the sleep guidelines for their age. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to examine whether sleep moderated the association between trauma and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and mental wellbeing. Results The majority of participants (82%) reported exposure to at least one traumatic event. The mean number of traumatic events was 1.8. Trauma was independently associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower mental wellbeing scores. Those reporting exposure to one or more traumatic events were more likely to report difficulties falling asleep and less likely to report meeting nightly sleep duration guidelines. We found a significant interaction between meeting nightly sleep duration guidelines and any trauma exposure on depressive and anxiety scores, such that depression and anxiety symptoms were lower in trauma-exposed adolescents who met sleep duration guidelines compared to those who did not meet sleep guidelines. Conclusions Obtaining optimal amounts of sleep each night may help mitigate anxiety and depressive symptoms for non-clinical adolescents exposed to trauma, however, longitudinal research is needed to confirm the directionality of the relationships between trauma, sleep, and mental health symptoms. Future research should examine the effectiveness of public health interventions targeting sleep behaviours in adolescents to promote mental wellbeing.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21621-xMental healthTraumaSleepAnxietyDepressionAdolescence |
| spellingShingle | Toni Coote Emma Barrett Lucinda Grummitt Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms BMC Public Health Mental health Trauma Sleep Anxiety Depression Adolescence |
| title | Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms |
| title_full | Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms |
| title_fullStr | Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms |
| title_short | Sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms |
| title_sort | sleep duration in adolescence buffers the impact of childhood trauma on anxiety and depressive symptoms |
| topic | Mental health Trauma Sleep Anxiety Depression Adolescence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21621-x |
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