Sleep, Internalizing Problems, and Social Withdrawal: Unique Associations in Clinic-Referred Youth With Elevated Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana T. Rondon ◽  
Dane C. Hilton ◽  
Matthew A. Jarrett ◽  
Thomas H. Ollendick
Keyword(s):  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Multiple Informants ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teacher Report Form ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: We compared clinic-referred youth with ADHD + sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT; n = 34), ADHD Only ( n = 108), and SCT Only ( n = 22) on demographics, co-occurring symptomatology, comorbid diagnoses, and social functioning. Method: In total, 164 youth (age = 6-17 years, M = 9.97) and their parent(s) presented to an outpatient clinic for a psychoeducational assessment. Between-group analyses and regressions were used to examine study variables. Results: SCT groups were older and exhibited more parent-reported internalizing problems, externalizing problems, sleep problems, and social withdrawal on the Child Behavior Checklist. No significant differences emerged between groups on the Teacher Report Form. Regression analyses involving multiple covariates revealed that SCT symptoms were uniquely related to social withdrawal but not general social problems. Conclusion: Based on parent report, SCT symptoms have a unique relationship with internalizing problems, sleep problems, and social withdrawal. Future research should explore correlates of SCT in youth using multiple informants.

Differential Diagnosis of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms in College Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 108705471989685
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Lovett ◽  
Whitney L. M. Wood ◽  
Lawrence J. Lewandowski
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Poor Sleep Quality ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) refers to a set of symptoms that prior research has found to be related to several different psychological disorders, especially the predominantly inattentive presentation of ADHD. This study collected evidence relevant to the question of whether SCT is a distinct disorder. Method: College students ( N = 910) completed measures of SCT, ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and substance misuse. Results: Students reporting clinically high SCT (reporting at least five symptoms often or very often) had significantly higher levels and rates of other types of psychopathology. Moreover, when students reporting clinically significant levels of ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms, poor sleep quality, or hazardous levels of alcohol or cannabis use were removed, very few students reporting high SCT remained (only 4.8% of the original high-SCT group). Conclusion: SCT may be best thought of as a symptom set common to many types of psychopathology, and it may be caused by sleep problems or substance misuse as well.

Evaluation of the Interplay Between Homework Motivation and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Youth With ADHD: Associations With Homework Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 1262-1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe R. Smith ◽  
Rosanna P. Breaux ◽  
Cathrin D. Green ◽  
Joshua M. Langberg
Keyword(s):  
Academic Failure ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
School Students ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Youth With Adhd ◽  
Low Motivation ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: This study evaluated which Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) factors (i.e., Slow, Sleepy, Daydreamer) are most strongly associated with homework motivation, and whether homework motivation mediates the path between SCT and academic impairment. Method: Participants were 285 middle school students (boys 209) in Grades 6 to 8 (ages 10-15 years) who were comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD. Results: Parent- and self-report of SCT Slow behaviors predicted homework motivation above and beyond symptoms of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety, depression, and intelligence. The mediation models tested were multi-informant and cross-rater (parent-report of SCT to self-report of motivation to teacher-report of homework problems), and suggest that low motivation may help explain the associations between SCT and functional impairment. Conclusion: SCT and motivation are significantly associated constructs. Clinically, youth with ADHD and comorbid SCT may be more likely to present with low motivation, placing them at risk for academic failure. The manuscript discusses potential clinical implications of these findings.

scholarly journals Shared genetic influences do not explain the association between parent–offspring relationship quality and offspring internalizing problems: results from a Children-of-Twins study

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Hannigan ◽  
F. V. Rijsdijk ◽  
J. M. Ganiban ◽  
D. Reiss ◽  
E. L. Spotts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Child Outcomes ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Genetic Transmission ◽  
Children Of Twins ◽  
Biological Parents

BackgroundAssociations between parenting and child outcomes are often interpreted as reflecting causal, social influences. However, such associations may be confounded by genes common to children and their biological parents. To the extent that these shared genes influence behaviours in both generations, a passive genetic mechanism may explain links between them. Here we aim to quantify the relative importance of passive genetic v. social mechanisms in the intergenerational association between parent–offspring relationship quality and offspring internalizing problems in adolescence.MethodsWe used a Children-of-Twins (CoT) design with data from the parent-based Twin and Offspring Study of Sweden (TOSS) sample [909 adult twin pairs and their offspring; offspring mean age 15.75 (2.42) years], and the child-based Swedish Twin Study of CHild and Adolescent Development (TCHAD) sample [1120 adolescent twin pairs; mean age 13.67 (0.47) years]. A composite of parent-report measures (closeness, conflict, disagreements, expressions of affection) indexed parent–offspring relationship quality in TOSS, and offspring self-reported internalizing symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in both samples.ResultsA social transmission mechanism explained the intergenerational association [r = 0.21 (0.16–0.25)] in our best-fitting model. A passive genetic transmission pathway was not found to be significant, indicating that parental genetic influences on parent–offspring relationship quality and offspring genetic influences on their internalizing problems were non-overlapping.ConclusionThese results indicate that this intergenerational association is a product of social interactions between children and parents, within which bidirectional effects are highly plausible. Results from genetically informative studies of parenting-related effects should be used to help refine early parenting interventions aimed at reducing risk for psychopathology.

scholarly journals Associations among Toddlers’ and Preschoolers’ Sleep Problems, Emotional Reactivity, Sleep Regime and Parental Applied Rules for Screen-Based Media Use

Psichologija ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 69-86
Author(s):  
Edita Baukienė ◽  
Roma Jusienė
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Parental Discipline ◽  
Preschool Period ◽  
Children’S Sleep

Background. Children’s sleep problems are associated with temperament. One of the dimensions of temperament – higher emotional reactivity – is defined as a risk factor for children’s emotional, behavioral, and sleep problems. Screen-based media use is a very common phenomenon among children that relates to sleep problems. Still there is a gap of research explaining the interactions between children’s sleep problems, temperament, and parental discipline (sleep regime and rules for screen-based media use). The aim of this study is to evaluate the relations between preschool children’s sleep problems and parents’ discipline (sleep regime and rules for screen-based media use), and the role of children’s emotional reactivity. Methods. This research is a part of the longitudinal study “Electronic Media Use and Young Children’s Health” conducted in the year 2017–2018 and funded by the Research Council of Lithuanian (agreement no. GER-006/2017). Participants are 876 children aged 2 to 5 years old and their parents. Children’s sleep problems and emotional reactivity were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1½-5). Information about rules for screen-based media use and sleep regime was obtained using the parent-report questionnaire. Results. Sleep problems are related to emotional reactivity, sleep regime, and rules for screen media use. Children without regular sleep regime and without constant rules for screen-based media use have higher sleep problems and emotional reactivity. The results of the regression analysis show that emotional reactivity, together with sleep regime and rules for screen-based media use, significantly explain one-fifth to one-third of children’s sleep problems at different ages of the preschool period. However, the prognostic value of emotional reactivity and parental discipline varies according to a child’s age, as they are significant predictors of sleep problems among two, three and four-year-olds, but no longer explain sleep problems of five-year-olds. The path analysis confirmed that emotional reactivity, directly and through mediating variables, e.g., parental reported child’s sleep regime and rules for screen-based media use, is significantly associated with children’s sleep problems. Conclusions. Emotional reactivity should be considered as a significant risk factor in the relation between children’s sleep problems, sleep regime and parental applied rules for screen-based media use. These results are important while identifying children at higher risk for sleep problems. The results also support that parental discipline, such as sleep regime and rules for screen-based media use, are significant for preventing sleep problems in children with higher emotional reactivity.

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo: Sociodemographic, Behavioral, and Clinical Characteristics in a Population of Catalan School Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 632-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Camprodon-Rosanas ◽  
N. Ribas-Fitó ◽  
S. Batlle-Vila ◽  
C. Persavento ◽  
M. Alvarez-Pedrerol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Second Hand Smoke ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Cognitive Tempo ◽  
At Home

Objective: The aims of the present study were to examine the presence of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms in children; associations of the symptoms with sociodemographic characteristics of the children; and relationships between SCT symptoms and symptoms of ADHD, dyslexia, academic performance, and behavioral problems. Method: We evaluated Catalan schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years in Barcelona, 2012-2013. Parents filled out the SCT–Child Behavior Checklist (SCT-CBCL), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and a questionnaire concerning sociodemographic characteristics. Teachers completed the ADHD criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) (ADHD- DSM-IV), a list of dyslexia symptoms, and evaluated the children’s academic performance. SCT symptoms were studied as a continuous and dichotomous variable. Results: In all, 11% of the children in our sample scored above the clinical cut-off on the SCT-CBCL scale. We observed a higher rate of SCT symptoms in boys, children whose father was unemployed, those whose maternal educational level was lower, children with a high socioeconomic vulnerability index at home, those who reported maternal smoking during pregnancy and current second-hand smoke exposure at home, and children with an ADHD diagnosis. More SCT symptoms were associated with inattention symptoms, symptoms of dyslexia, academic problems, and emotional and peer relationship problems. Conclusion: We observed a higher prevalence of SCT symptoms in our sample than expected in the general population. While girls are less prone to SCT symptoms, some socioeconomic indicators, dyslexia, and inattention symptoms as well as exposure to smoking at home increase the risk of SCT and must be taken into account during assessments.

Evaluating the Structure of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Using Confirmatory Factor Analytic and Bifactor Modeling With Parent and Youth Ratings

Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe R. Smith ◽  
Stephen P. Becker ◽  
Annie A. Garner ◽  
Cort W. Rudolph ◽  
Stephen J. Molitor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Fit Statistics ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Bifactor Modeling ◽  
Three Factor ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

The primary goals of this study were to evaluate the dimensionality of the Penny et al. Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale and to compare model fits for parent- and youth self-report versions. Participants were 262 young adolescents (ages 10-15) comprehensively diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Both confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bifactor modeling were used to determine if the proposed three-factor structure previously identified through exploratory factor analysis could be confirmed. Results showed that although the three-factor CFA had better fit statistics than a one- or two-factor CFA, the bifactor model was the best-fitting model for both parent report and self-report. This implies that Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale is best conceptualized as having an underlying general factor, with three specific factors that may represent different etiologies. Importantly, results also showed low-to-moderate correlations between raters and equivalent or better fit statistics for self-report in comparison with parent report.

External Validity of ADHD Inattention and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Dimensions in Spanish Children With ADHD

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 655-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Fenollar Cortés ◽  
Mateu Servera ◽  
Stephen P. Becker ◽  
G. Leonard Burns
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Peer Relations ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Learning Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Medication Status ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: Few studies have examined whether separate dimensions of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT)—inconsistent alertness and slowness—have different external correlates from each other as well as symptoms of ADHD inattention (ADHD-IN). Method: Participants were 131 Spanish children (ages 6-16; 72% boys) diagnosed with ADHD. Results: In regression analyses, ADHD-IN was positively associated with hyperactivity/impulsivity, conduct problems, defiance/aggression, anxiety, peer relations problems, and learning problems. SCT-inconsistent alertness was positively associated with hyperactivity/impulsivity and peer relations problems. In contrast, SCT-slowness was negatively associated with hyperactivity/impulsivity and conduct problems and positively associated with depression and learning problems. Results were consistent after controlling for depression, medication status, and sex. Conclusion: The findings support SCT to be a construct with two dimensions that have unique correlates relative to each other as well as ADHD-IN. Future research on SCT should separate these dimensions of SCT to provide a better understanding of the construct.

Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors of Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness in Young Adolescents With ADHD

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Langberg ◽  
Stephen J. Molitor ◽  
Lauren E. Oddo ◽  
Hana-May Eadeh ◽  
Melissa R. Dvorsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Sleep Problem ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Young Adolescents ◽  
Final Model ◽  
Adolescent Report ◽  
Nighttime Sleep

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of multiple types of sleep problems in young adolescents with ADHD. Method: Adolescents comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD (N = 262) and their caregivers completed well-validated measures of sleep problems and daytime sleepiness. Participants also completed measures related to medication use, comorbidities, and other factors that could predict sleep problems. Results: Daytime sleepiness was by far the most common sleep problem, with 37% of adolescents meeting the clinical threshold according to parent report and 42% according to adolescent report. In contrast, prevalence rates for specific nighttime sleep problems ranged from 1.5% to 7.6%. Time spent in bed, bedtime resistance, ADHD inattentive symptoms, and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) symptoms were significant in the final model predicting daytime sleepiness. Conclusion: Adolescents with ADHD commonly experience problems with daytime sleepiness that may significantly affect their functioning, but this may not be directly attributable to specific sleep problems.

scholarly journals The efficacy of the Senior South African Individual Scale Revised in distinguishing between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, normal and sluggish cognitive tempo children

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Abdool Gafoor ◽  
Alban Burke ◽  
Jean Fourie
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
South African ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
African Individual ◽  
Individual Scale ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

The primary objective of this study was to determine whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and a non-clinical (NC) group of learners perform differently on the Senior South African Individual Scale Revised (SSAIS-R). The rationale for this study is based on literature that argues for SCT to be considered as a separate and unique disorder to ADHD. The SSAIS-R results of 618 (7–17 years of age) children were analysed for the purposes of this study. The total sample consisted of three groups, that is, ADHD (n = 106), NC (n = 427) and SCT (n = 85). Between-group t-tests were performed to test for significant differences between the three groups with regard to the different SSAIS-R subtests. The results indicated significant differences between NC and ADHD, NC and SCT but not between ADHD and SCT. These results suggest that if SCT is considered to be a separate disorder from ADHD, then this is not evident in terms of the performance on the SSAIS-R. It is recommended that other cognitive and neuropsychological assessments be included in future research to ascertain whether SCT, if it exists, affects performance differently to ADHD.

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