Pavlopoulou, G;
Sim, E;
Peter, S;
Gardani, M;
Beevers, V;
Kassa, C;
Sideropoulos, V;
(2025)
'Who Listens to the Listener, Who Cares for the Carer?' A Cross-Sectional Study of Social Connectedness and Sleep Experiences of Young Siblings of Neurodivergent People.
Child: Care, Health and Development
, 51
(1)
, Article e70014. 10.1111/cch.70014.
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Abstract
Background: A growing body of research postlockdown has established that loneliness and sleep problems are prominent in the life of all people and in particular in neurodivergent people and their parents/carers. The present study explores the experience of loneliness and sleep in siblings of neurodivergent young people. Methods: Thirty-eight (n = 38) young siblings (Mage = 16.41, 68.4% female) completed an online survey on sleep, loneliness and daytime functioning, answering a set of qualitative questions. Results: Thematic analysis revealed that their sleep was affected by personal anxieties and neurodivergent siblings' parasomnias. Definition of loneliness included perceived lack of understanding and empathy in wider society, assuming a lonesome responsibility, growing up faster than peers and an emptiness within and without. Siblings provided brief contributions on how schools and the wider society can help them. Limitations include small sample size and an uneven representation of gender and disability groups in the sample. Recommendations for school and societal support are also discussed. Conclusion: This preliminary exploration helped define their caring responsibilities, social connectedness and sleep needs. Our findings call for a holistic and personalised approach to healthcare, including social and psychological support, for the whole family including neurodivergent and neurotypical siblings.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | 'Who Listens to the Listener, Who Cares for the Carer?' A Cross-Sectional Study of Social Connectedness and Sleep Experiences of Young Siblings of Neurodivergent People |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/cch.70014 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.70014 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2024 The Author(s). Child: Care, Health and Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | Social Sciences, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Psychology, Developmental, Pediatrics, Psychology, disability, loneliness, mental health, siblings, sleep, LONELINESS, ADOLESCENTS, CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AUTISM |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10206937 |
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