Escapism is predominantly assumed to be a negative aspect of media consumption. However, research also indicates that escapism may spur positive psychological outcomes. Here, using a 2-dimensional model of escapism and its corresponding scale, we tested a dualistic approach to escapism in relation to both gaming and online streaming. Data were collected from 2 separate Web-based questionnaires. Study 1 comprised 126 dedicated gamers, whereas Study 2 comprised 191 university students regularly using streaming services. Results showed that the Escapism scale-with its 2 dimensions, Self-Expansion and Self-Suppression-demonstrated good factorial validity and internal consistency in both samples. In the gaming sample, self-expansion was related to positive psychological outcomes from gaming, whereas self-suppression was substantially overlapping with Internet gaming disorder (Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test [IGDT-10]) and negative psychological outcomes. In the streaming sample, self-expansion was related to general positive affect and approach coping, whereas self-suppression was related to avoidance coping and general negative affect, tested in a path model. Overall, results provide preliminary support for a 2-dimensional conceptualization of escapism in media engagement, here evidenced in gaming and streaming. Furthermore, results indicate that a dualistic operationalization of escapism, currently not incorporated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition, Revised, classifications of pathological gaming in may help distinguish healthy from unhealthy gaming and may also be relevant for distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive streaming. Public Policy Relevance StatementEscapism is an imperative motivation in media consumption. Nevertheless, the phenomenon is debated and has been criticized for having an ambiguous role in, for example, the classification of pathological gaming (in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition, Revised). In 2 studies, derived from the 2dimensional model of escapism, an adaptive and a maladaptive form of escapism was identified in gaming and streaming, illuminating a potential explanation for the unsettled role of escapism in media engagement.

IMPORTANCE The long-term association between sleep duration and mental health in children is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE To investigate the prospective associations between sleep duration and symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders at ages 6, 8, 10, and 12 years. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based cohort study obtained data from the Trondheim Early Secure Study in Trondheim, Norway. A representative, stratified random sample of children born between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2004, were invited to participate.

BackgroundThere is limited knowledge about the prevalence and stability of insomnia defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). We therefore provide such estimates from preschool to early adolescence and explore potential sex differences.MethodsWe followed a representative community sample (n=1037) biennially from 4 to 14 years of age (2007–2017). Insomnia diagnoses and symptoms were captured by a semistructured clinical interview of parents and children (from age 8 years).ResultsAt ages 4 and 6 years approximately 2.5% of children met the criteria for insomnia, whereas at ages 8, 10, 12 and 14 years the prevalence ranged from 7.5% to 12.3%. During the 10-year period examined nearly 1 in 5 children had insomnia at least once (18.7%). Sex differences were apparent with DSM-IV, but not DSM-5, criteria: boys (8.1%) had more insomnia than girls (4.5%) did at ages 4–10 years, whereas girls (11.4%) had more insomnia than boys (7.1%) did at ages 12 and 14 years. Insomnia proved stable, with 22.9%–40.1% of children retaining their diagnosis 2 years later. Having current insomnia produced medium to large ORs of between 5.1 (95% CI 2.6 to 9.8) and 15.3 (95% CI 4.4 to 52.9) for subsequent insomnia 2 years later compared with not having preceding insomnia.ConclusionsInsomnia was less prevalent than previous research indicates, with nearly 1 in 5 participants having insomnia at least once between the ages of 4 and 14 years. Female preponderance emerged in early adolescence. Having insomnia at one time point was a considerable risk for subsequent insomnia, indicating that insomnia is persistent and warrants clinical attention.

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Purpose Many children have periods when they sleep too little, with widely recognized detrimental effects. Less is known about persistent short sleep during childhood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of persistent short sleep in school-aged children and identify a set of child, parent, and peer predictors thereof. Participants and Methods Objectively measured sleep duration (hip-held accelerometer) was biennially assessed in a community sample followed from 6 to 14 years (n=801). A latent profile analysis was applied to assess whether a subgroup of children slept consistently short across time and predictors of persistent short sleep were determined through regression analysis. Results A subgroup of children (n=160; 20.2%) was identified as having persistent short sleep across time. Temperamental negative affectivity (β=0.08; 95% CI=0.01, 0.15; p=0.03) and low observer-assessed parental emotional availability (β=−.09; 95% CI=−.18, −.01; p=0.04) predicted membership to that group. Teacher ratings of victimization from bullying were not associated with persistent short sleep (β=0.01; 95% CI: −.10, 11; p=0.88). Conclusion High child temperamental negative affectivity and low parental emotional availability may be involved in the development of persistent short sleep through childhood.