Where Do Our Children Go? Understanding the Impact of Institutionalization on Emotion Regulation, Attention, and
Sandra Figueiredo1, Patrícia Silvestre1
1Psychology Research Centre (CIP and University Research Centre in Psychology (CUIP)), Department of Psychology, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, Palácio Dos Condes Do Redondo, R. de Santa Marta 56, 1169-023 Lisbon, Portugal.
Insights
Institutionalized children show poorer emotional regulation and attention. Sleep differences were found, but sleep did not mediate these effects, highlighting broader challenges in institutional care for child development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Institutionalized children (IC) exhibit underdeveloped emotional regulation and attention compared to non-institutionalized children (NIC).
- Caregiver interactions in institutional settings often lack affective engagement, potentially hindering socio-emotional development.
- The role of sleep in the context of institutionalization and its impact on emotional regulation and attention is under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effects of institutionalization on emotional regulation, attention, and sleep hygiene in children.
- To investigate the mediating role of sleep in the relationship between emotional regulation and attention in institutionalized children.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study involving 110 children aged 7–11 years (55 IC, 55 NIC).
- Utilized the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), Cancellation Test (Toulouse-Piéron), and Children's Chronotype Questionnaire.
- Employed regression analyses and parametric tests to compare groups.
Main Results:
- Institutionalized children demonstrated significantly lower emotional regulation and poorer attention compared to non-institutionalized children.
- Significant differences in MidSleep Point (MSP) were observed, with NIC showing shorter sleep periods, contrary to initial hypotheses.
- While sleep hygiene differed, sleep did not emerge as a direct mediator between emotional regulation and attention.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged institutionalization negatively impacts socio-emotional development and cognitive functions, particularly attention.
- Sleep differences exist between institutionalized and non-institutionalized children, but sleep is not a primary mediating factor for attention deficits.
- Broader developmental challenges associated with institutional care appear more significant than sleep-related factors in explaining observed deficits.
Background/Objectives:
Emotional regulation and attention are markedly underdeveloped in institutionalized children (IC) relative to non-institutionalized children (NIC). Caregivers in temporary institutional settings tend to exhibit contingency-responsive behaviors with limited affective engagement, which may restrict optimal socio-emotional development. Despite the critical role that sleep routines play in child development, their association with emotional regulation and attention in the context of institutionalization remains insufficiently explored. The present study aimed to assess the impact of institutionalization on emotional regulation, attention, and sleep hygiene in childhood, as well as to investigate whether sleep mediates the relationship between emotional regulation and attention.
Methods:
A total of 110 children aged 7 to 11 years (N = 55 IC; N = 55 NIC) were assessed using the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), the Cancellation Test (Toulouse-Piéron), and the Children's Chronotype Questionnaire.
Results:
Regression analyses and parametric tests revealed significant differences between IC and NIC groups. IC exhibited lower emotional regulation (β = 8.018, p < 0.05) and poorer attention (β = 3.818, p < 0.05) compared with NIC. Additionally, the MidSleep Point (MSP) was significantly different between groups, with NIC demonstrating shorter sleep periods (β = -1158.545, p < 0.05), contrary to expectations.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that prolonged institutionalization impairs socio-emotional development, with downstream effects on cognitive functioning, particularly attention. While differences in sleep routines between IC and NIC were observed, sleep did not appear to directly mediate the relationship between emotional regulation and attention, nor did it present a primary risk factor compared with the broader developmental challenges associated with institutional care.
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