0787 Sleep Problems And The Association With Externalized Problems In Children With Early Conduct Problems

Introduction Conduct problems (CP) refer to a variety of antisocial behaviors, including aggression, rule breaking, deceitfulness, destruction of others’ property, as well as comorbid defiance, and are considered early if present before age 10. Early CP, in comparison to adolescent-onset CP, is associated with worse physical and mental health outcomes over time. Researchers have shown that children with CP reported more sleep problems than children without CP, and increases in aggressive and rule-breaking behavior were reported in children with shorter sleep durations. However, longitudinal predictive effects of poor sleep on later externalized behaviors among children with early CP are still lacking. Methods Participants (N = 434) were children with early CP from an ongoing longitudinal study. Child-rated sleep problems were assessed when children were approximately 10 years old (range 8-12 years) using the Youth Self-Report of the ASEBA. Externalized behaviors were assessed one year later, using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; parent and child-rated). T scores were used in analyses, such that higher scores indicate higher levels of problems. The longitudinal effect of child-rated sleep problems on externalized behaviors (parent and child-rated) was estimated in hierarchical regressions. Age, sex and internalized symptoms were controlled, given their known associations with sleep and externalized behaviors. Results Child-rated sleep problems significantly positively predicted parent-rated externalized behaviors one year later, after accounting for the effects of the other covariates (p > 0.05). Child-rated sleep problems did not predict child-rated externalized behaviors one year later (p > 0.05). The interaction between sleep problems and sex was not significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion Higher levels of sleep problems were associated with higher levels of externalized behaviors one year later, only when externalized behaviors were reported by parents. These results suggest that children with early CP might be less aware than their parents of their problematic behaviors, following sleep difficulties. These results highlight the importance of interventions aimed at improving sleep among children with early CP. Support (If Any) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (NRF 82694), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (435-2012-0803)