(PS6-41) Electronic Media Use, Mental Health and Sleep Among Children in Foster Care

Electronic Media Use, Mental Health and Sleep Among Children in Foster Care

Kayla Martins, Eleanor McGlinchey, Candice Alfano, Carol Ripple, Amy R. Wolfson

Many children in foster care are exposed to trauma, and as a result, experience significant sleep difficulties. Sleep difficulties are associated with increased mental health problems (Hambrick et al., 2018). Children in foster care are at a higher risk for mental health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Salazar et al., 2013), depression (White et al., 2007) and anxiety (Stevens et al., 2011). Prior work suggests that electronic media use is associated with poorer sleep quality among children and adolescents (Lund et al., 2016), but its effects on youth in foster care are unknown. Sleep quality among children in foster care who use electronic media prior to bedtime may experience worse outcomes for those diagnosed with mental health problems. In the current study, we explored the association between electronic media use and sleep quality among children in foster care. Further, we examined the influence of a prior diagnosis of PTSD, depression, and anxiety on the association between electronic media use and sleep quality among children in foster care.

The sample was 466 foster parents reporting on a child under their care between the ages of 4 and 11 (M = 6.37, SD = 2.21). Of the full sample, 33.3% (n = 142) of caregivers reported anxiety as the child’s primary diagnosis by a mental health professional, making it the most prevalent. An independent sample t-test examined the association between electronic media use at bedtime, measured by a yes/no variable, and sleep quality, measured using the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ; Owens et al., 2000).

Children who used electronic media at bedtime reported better sleep quality (M = 6.39, SD = 2.05) than those who did not (M = 5.74, SD = 2.23), t(383) = 2.96, p < .01). Multiple linear regression examined the effects of primary PTSD, depression, and anxiety diagnoses and electronic media use at bedtime on sleep quality. Sleep quality was significantly predicted by electronic media use at bedtime (b = -.57, β = -.13, p</em> < .05) and anxiety (b = -.94, β = -.20, p</em> < .05), but not PTSD (b = -.22, β = -.03, p = .521) or depression (b = .80, β = .04, p</em> = .403).

Feelings of safety and comfort are vital for healthy sleep. Previous research has demonstrated that electronic media may be used to calm and comfort children (e.g., watching a favorite television show), thereby promoting better sleep (Eggermont & Van den Bulck, 2006). Future research should examine factors such as media content, duration of electronic media use, and type of light exposure prior to bedtime in this population of vulnerable children whose experiences at bedtime may be different than the general population.