Sleep quality is associated with psychosocial functioning and health‐related quality of life in pediatric transplant recipients

Abstract

This study examined patient‐reported sleep quality in a single‐center cross‐sectional sample of adolescents with solid organ transplants and evaluated associations between sleep quality, psychosocial functioning (ie, depression/anxiety symptoms), and HRQOL. Health disparities associated with minority race/ethnicity and socioeconomic variables were also examined. Sixty‐nine adolescents (M = 16.51 years; SD = 1.63) who received a solid organ transplant (kidney: n = 25; liver: n = 24; heart: n = 20) completed self‐report measures of sleep quality, psychosocial functioning, and HRQOL. Adolescent transplant recipients endorsed significantly lower levels of sleep quality (ie, falling asleep) compared with previously published norms of healthy peers (t = −3.60; P ≤ .001). Higher sleep quality was significantly associated with fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms (r = −.31 to −.40), and higher physical and psychosocial HRQOL (r = .33‐.43). Adolescents from minority backgrounds had significantly worse sleep quality compared with non‐Hispanic Whites. Adolescent transplant recipients, particularly those from minority backgrounds, may be at increased risk for experiencing poor sleep quality. Suboptimal sleep is a risk factor for higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as lower levels of physical and psychosocial HRQOL. Sleep is an important modifiable factor that, if improved, may contribute to lower anxiety/depressive symptoms and better HRQOL in adolescent transplant recipients.

Sleep Quality and Psychosocial Factors in Liver Transplant Recipients at an Outpatient Follow-Up Clinic in China

“…It is clear that sleep quality is closely related to psychosocial factors [11]. Although liver transplantation has improved patients' quality of life, it has resulted in little improvement in patients' psychological function [12,13].…”