BMC Psychol. 2026 Jul 17. doi: 10.1186/s40359-026-05152-7. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sleep problems in children are an important risk factor for cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. Previous studies have shown that interparental conflict is closely associated with poorer sleep quality in children. However, the internal psychological variables involved in this association, particularly how they may be understood within the Chinese family context, remain insufficiently examined. Based on a sample of Chinese children, this study examined the association between interparental conflict and poorer sleep quality in children, and it tested the mediating pathways of emotional insecurity and subjective well-being(SWB).
METHODS: This study employed a quantitatively driven explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combining questionnaire survey data with child interviews. The quantitative component included 900 upper-grade primary school children (M = 10.58, SD = 0.81). Correlation analyses and a serial mediation model were used to examine the associations among interparental conflict, emotional insecurity, SWB, and children’s sleep quality. In the qualitative component, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 children, and thematic analysis was used to supplement and contextualize the quantitative findings.
RESULTS: Interparental conflict was significantly associated with poorer sleep quality in children (r = 0.39, p < 0.001), and this association remained significant after emotional insecurity and SWB were included as mediators in the model (β = 0.11, p = 0.006). The statistical indirect effects through emotional insecurity, through SWB, and through emotional insecurity and SWB in sequence, were all significant, with effect values of 0.014, 0.019, and 0.004 respectively. The qualitative findings showed that the interviewed children incorporated interparental conflict into their understanding of family relationships, their own situations, and daily life circumstances. Within the Chinese family context, these responses were more clearly reflected in a contextualized organization of meaning around family harmony, parent-child connection, and relational responsibility.
CONCLUSIONS: Emotional insecurity and SWB are important psychological variables for understanding the association between interparental conflict and poorer sleep quality in children. At the same time, these processes may acquire specific meanings within the Chinese family context.
PMID:42469886 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-026-05152-7
