The Associations Between Sleep Disturbance, Psychological Dysfunction, Pain Intensity, and Pain Interference in Children with Chronic Pain

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to better understand the associations between both sleep disturbance and psychological dysfunction (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms, and anger), and pain intensity and pain interference, in a sample of children with chronic pain.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Methods: Three hundred and forty-two children with chronic pain (8-18 years) completed measures assessing pain intensity, pain interference, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and anger. Regression analyses examined the direct, interaction (with sex), and mediation effects of sleep quality and psychological dysfunction on pain intensity and interference.

Results: Sleep disturbance was significantly associated with both pain intensity and pain interference. However, measures of psychological dysfunction were associated significantly only with pain interference. Sex did not moderate these associations. The measures of psychological dysfunction mediated the associations between sleep disturbance and pain interference but not those between sleep disturbance and pain intensity.

Conclusions: The results confirmed significant cross-sectional associations between both sleep disturbance and psychological dysfunction and pain outcomes in children with chronic pain. Future research to test for causal associations is warranted.

Keywords: Adolescents; Children; Chronic Pain; Pain Interference; Psychological Dysfunction; Sleep.