Adverse Childhood Experiences, Sleep Problems, Low Self-Control, and Delinquency: A Longitudinal Serial Mediation Analysis

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negative, potentially traumatic events that have been linked to numerous mental and physical health problems throughout the lifespan. Unfortunately, ACEs are common, with 48% of youth experiencing ACEs (Bethell et al., 2014), making it critical to understand their impact on development. Previous research has linked ACEs to adolescent delinquency (Brown & Shillington, 2017; Leban & Gibson, 2020), sleep problems (Turner et al., 2020), and self-control deficits (Meldrum et al., 2020). Additionally, both sleep problems (Hambrick et al., 2018) and low self-control (Vazsonvi et al., 2017) are known predictors of delinquency. However, mechanisms linking ACEs and delinquency in adolescence are unclear, particularly the possibility of multiple mechanisms working in concert. One notable exception exists wherein researchers found ACEs to be associated with delinquency via poor sleep using a cross-sectional design (Hambrick et al., 2018). We address this gap and improve upon previous efforts by examining sleep problems and low self-control as mediators of the association between ACEs and delinquency in a single serial mediation model using a longitudinal study design.

Participants were 502 adolescents (70.7% boys; 86.3% White) enrolled in the Michigan Longitudinal Study. Consistent with previous work, we examined cumulative ACEs experienced prior to age 12 (Fava et al., 2019); sleep problems (ages 9-11) via a mean of six items from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991; Hambrick et al., 2018); low self-control (ages 12-14) via a mean of 16 items from the CBCL (Hay & Forrest, 2006); and delinquency (ages 15-17) via a sum of 24 items from the Antisocial Behavior Checklist-Adolescent version (Zucker & Noll, 1980). Covariates included race, sex, and family income. A serial mediation model was tested using the SAS PROCESS macro, where ACEs predicted sleep problems, which predicted low self-control, which predicted delinquency. Direct effects of ACEs on low self-control and delinquency and the direct effect of sleep problems on delinquency were also estimated.

Overall, the estimated model accounted for 11% of the variance in delinquency (Table 1). ACEs had a significant positive effect on sleep problems, low self-control, and delinquency. As hypothesized, the association between ACEs and delinquency was serially mediated by sleep problems and low self-control (indirect effect = 0.0005, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.0001 – 0.0011; Fig. 1) despite a significant direct effect of ACEs on delinquency.

ACEs have a notable impact on diverse domains of development as evidenced by our significant longitudinal association between ACEs and delinquency, which was both direct and indirect through sleep problems and low self-control. Accordingly, ACEs may increase risk for delinquency in late adolescence due to sleep problems that begin in late childhood and low self-control in early adolescence. By accounting for multiple interrelated factors, we can better understand complex associations between ACEs and problematic outcomes, thus informing prevention and intervention programming for youth. Behavioral interventions targeting sleep problems in late childhood, such as establishing bedtime routines and implementing relaxation skills (Vriend & Corkum, 2011), may improve self-control in early adolescence, which may help prevent delinquency during late adolescence.

Authors

• Michelle G. Villar, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Nicole M. Fava, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ryan C. Meldrum, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Robert A Zucker, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elisa Trucco, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author