Behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents with moderate to severe eczema: The relationships with sleep problems, disease severity and parenting stress.

Abstract

Objective Sleep problems occur frequently among children and adolescents with atopic eczema. The association of these children’s sleep problems with their behavioral and emotional problems, parenting stress and disease severity was studied. Methods Participants were 65 children and adolescents with moderate to severe atopic eczema and their parents. Questionnaires concerning child and adolescent behavioral, emotional and sleep problems, eczema severity and parenting stress were completed online. Results Child and adolescent sleep problems were indirectly related to behavioral and emotional problems through maternal parenting stress, but only among children and adolescents with less severe eczema. Paternal parenting stress was associated only with withdrawn/depressed behavior. Conclusion Among children and adolescents with atopic eczema, sleep problems were indirectly related to behavioral and emotional problems through maternal parenting stress. Multidisciplinary treatment targeting both the eczema as well as sleep, emotional and behavioral problems and psychosocial factors is advised for children with moderate to severe eczema.