Developmental Changes in Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep Problems and School Burnout in Early Adolescence

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Adolescent Health
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Adolescent sleep problems are linked to school burnout.
• Developmental trajectories of sleep problems and their relationship with school burnout in early adolescence require further investigation.
• Understanding the interplay between within-person changes and between-person differences is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine developmental patterns of sleep problems and school burnout in early adolescence.
• To explore the interplay between sleep problems and school burnout by distinguishing between- and within-person effects.
• To investigate the reciprocal relationship between sleep problems and school burnout over time.

Main Methods:

• A 2-year longitudinal study involving 1226 Chinese junior high school students.
• Data collected across four waves, starting November 2018.
• Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and parallel latent growth curve modeling (LGCM), including random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM).

Main Results:

• Three distinct sleep problem trajectories were identified: stable low, slow-increasing, and rapid-increasing.
• Synchronized developmental growth was observed between sleep problems and school burnout.
• At the between-person level, sleep problems positively correlated with school burnout. At the within-person level, sleep problems and school burnout showed reciprocal reinforcement.

Conclusions:

• Sleep problems significantly contribute to school burnout among adolescents in China.
• Distinguishing between-person traits from within-person states is essential for understanding the co-development of sleep problems and school burnout.
• Interventions addressing sleep problems may mitigate school burnout in adolescents.