Poor Sleep Quality in Parents of Children With Psoriasis

Pediatric psoriasis negatively influences parental sleep quality, according to a recent study published in Pediatric Dermatology.

Researchers aimed to examine the effects of pediatric psoriasis on the quality of sleep in parents of children with psoriasis compared with the sleep of parents of children without psoriasis in a cross-sectional questionnaire. Conducted from September 2020 to November 2021, the study used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and . Included parents of patients aged 2 to 18 years diagnosed with psoriasis and matched controls. The study also compared the sleep quality of parents with children who had mild psoriasis to those with moderate to severe psoriasis, and fathers to mothers.

Of the 301 parents enrolled in the study, parents of children with psoriasis had a longer sleep latency, worse subjective sleep quality, and more frequently used sleep medications (P < .05). The difference between parents of different psoriasis severity and between fathers and mothers was not significant.

“Poor sleep quality was demonstrated among parents of children diagnosed with psoriasis compared to parents of healthy children,” concluded the study authors. “This finding is crucial for the direction of treatment efforts regarding parental well-being and functioning,” they added.

Reference
Horev A, Grinshpun K, Forer E, et al. Pediatric psoriasis negatively influences parental sleep quality. Pediatr Dermatol. Published online March 23, 2023. doi:10.1111/pde.15297