Persistent sleep disturbances in disaster-exposed children: the longitudinal impact of maternal psychopathology

Natural disasters significantly impact children’s physiological and psychological health, with sleep disturbances being among the most prevalent consequences. This study aims to investigate the longitudinal relationship between maternal psychopathology and children’s sleep disturbances after the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes.

A total of 132 mother-child dyads (children aged 8–12 years) who directly experienced the earthquakes were assessed at 3 months (T1) and 12 months (T2) post-disaster. Children’s sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while maternal depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), respectively.

Children’s overall sleep quality improved from T1 to T2, although 65.9% continued to report poor sleep quality at T2. Maternal PTSD symptoms decreased significantly over time, whereas reductions in depression and anxiety were non-significant. Maternal psychopathology variables (BDI, STAI, PCL-5) were significantly correlated with children’s PSQI scores at T2. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that baseline child sleep disturbances, maternal psychopathology, earthquake exposure severity, and maternal education level together explained 38% of the variance in children’s sleep quality at T2.

Maternal mental health is significantly associated with the persistence of children’s sleep disturbances following the earthquakes. Interventions targeting maternal psychopathology and early sleep problems may help improve long-term sleep outcomes in disaster-affected children.