Research indicates that sleep problems are fairly common in childhood. However, the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and sleep problems and how sleep issues influence psychological symptoms in children presenting for treatment remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of sleep problems and the association between sleep problems and psychological symptoms in youth presenting to treatment following CSA. Participants included 276 non-offending caregiver-child dyads at pre-treatment and 106 dyads at post-treatment. Youth were 6 to 19 years old and predominately female (82.9%). Caregivers were 23 to 72 years old and predominately female (87.4%). Youth and caregivers identified as predominately European American (76.6% and 86.0%, respectively). Results indicated that caregiver endorsement of a particular youth sleep problem (as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist sleep items) at pre-treatment ranged between 17.9 and 51.4%. Sleep problems were positively associated with psychological symptoms per caregiver- and youth self-report. Interestingly, a substantial proportion of youth reported decreased sleep problems at the end of treatment even though the treatment did not target sleep issues. This study highlights the commonality of sleep problems in children who experienced sexual abuse. Findings suggest that CSA interventions that do not directly address sleep may be missing a component that can contribute to successful recovery. The results provide preliminary evidence that sleep problems and mental health concerns among youth who experienced CSA are associated, indicating a need for further investigation into the association and potential implications for treatment. Other implications for future research and treatment following CSA are discussed.

研究表明，睡眠问题在儿童时期相当普遍。然而，儿童性虐待（CSA）与睡眠问题之间的关系以及睡眠问题如何影响就诊儿童的心理症状仍不清楚。本研究的目的是检查接受 CSA 治疗的青少年是否存在睡眠问题以及睡眠问题与心理症状之间的关联。参与者包括 276 名治疗前无冒犯性的看护者-儿童二人组和 106 名治疗后二人组。青少年年龄为 6 至 19 岁，其中以女性为主（82.9%）。护理人员年龄在 23 岁至 72 岁之间，并且以女性为主（87.4%）。青少年和护理人员主要是欧洲裔美国人（分别为 76.6% 和 86.0%）。结果表明，治疗前护理人员对特定青少年睡眠问题（通过儿童行为检查表睡眠项目测量）的认可度在 17.9% 至 51.4% 之间。根据护理人员和青少年的自我报告，睡眠问题与心理症状呈正相关。有趣的是，尽管治疗并不针对睡眠问题，但很大一部分青少年报告在治疗结束时睡眠问题有所减少。这项研究强调了遭受性虐待的儿童睡眠问题的共性。研究结果表明，不直接解决睡眠问题的 CSA 干预措施可能缺少有助于成功恢复的组成部分。研究结果提供了初步证据，表明经历过 CSA 的青少年的睡眠问题和心理健康问题之间存在相关性，表明需要进一步调查这种关联以及对治疗的潜在影响。讨论了 CSA 后未来研究和治疗的其他影响。