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Project

Sleep problems in adolescents with ADHD: Unraveling the complex relation and underlying processes

During adolescence, a variety of neurodevelopmental and psychosocial changes take place, often resulting in sleep problems. These problems might be even more prevalent in adolescents with ADHD. As ADHD is an already highly impairing condition, this is especially concerning. This dissertation comprises two objectives. The first one is to summarize the existing literature about sleep problems in adolescents with ADHD. The second one is to investigate underlying processes possibly influencing these sleep problems. 

In Chapter 1, a theoretical overview is given about the sleep of adolescents with and without ADHD, considering relevant processes possibly underlying the highly prevalent sleep problems of adolescents with ADHD. Chapter 2 builds on this theoretical overview by giving a statistical overview of existing literature directly comparing the sleep of adolescents with and without ADHD. Implementing a meta-analytic approach, sleep parameters, sleep problems, and sleep hygiene are compared between adolescents with and without ADHD. Adolescents with ADHD have more subjectively disturbed sleep parameters and more sleep problems than adolescents without ADHD.

In Chapter 3, three groups of adolescents are compared; adolescents with ADHD and comorbid self-reported sleep problems, adolescents with ADHD but without comorbid sleep problems, and adolescents without ADHD. Group comparisons are conducted on sleep parameters, sleep problems, demographics, and co-occurring mental health problems. The ADHD group with comorbid sleep problems has more objectively and subjectively disturbed sleep parameters, especially a longer sleep onset duration, more sleep problems, based on self- and parent-report, and more co-occurring mental health problems. The other two groups do not differ from each other. In Chapter 4, the relation between delay aversion and delay discounting, two characteristic features underlying ADHD symptomatology, and sleep is investigated. More delay aversion is related to longer objective sleep onset latency and longer subjective sleep duration, with sleep hygiene partially mediating the latter relationship. In Chapter 5, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sleep of adolescents with and without ADHD is investigated. More COVID-19 restrictions are related to shorter sleep duration in both groups, but also to shorter sleep onset latency in adolescents with ADHD.

The dissertation ends with a summary and discussion of the findings in Chapter 6. Limitations, future research suggestions, and clinical implications of the findings are also described.

Date:1 Feb 2020 →  1 Feb 2024
Keywords:ADHD, sleep
Disciplines:Psychotherapy
Project type:PhD project