Sleep Depression, and Psychosocial Risk Factors in Caregivers

描述（由申请人提供）：这个指导临床职业发展奖的目的是提供博士丽莎梅尔策与必要的经验和知识，成为一个独立的临床研究人员，桥梁儿科心理学和睡眠医学领域。Meltzer博士是一名临床心理学家，他将通过指导性阅读、研讨会、课程和指导性研究的结合来实现这一目标。一个高素质的导师团队将监督她的培训和研究，确保她达到她的目标。Meltzer博士将研究儿科护理人员的睡眠，抑郁和心理社会风险因素。本提案的具体目的是：1）描述呼吸机依赖儿童（VDC）看护者和健康儿童看护者的睡眠模式和日间功能（情绪障碍、疲劳和执行功能），2）识别与看护者负担和抑郁症状相关的风险和保护因素，3）检查睡眠作为看护者负担和抑郁症状之间关系的中介，以及4）开发和评估旨在改善看护者睡眠的简短干预措施，间接受益于改善抑郁和疲劳症状。这些目标将通过两项研究来实现：研究1是对呼吸机依赖儿童的照顾者和健康对照儿童的照顾者的睡眠、抑郁症状和心理社会风险因素的评价。研究2是一项改善护理人员睡眠质量和数量的试点干预措施。该项目将解决科学文献中与慢性身心健康障碍儿童父母照顾者负担的经验测量相关的空白，睡眠对情绪，疲劳和执行功能的影响，以及慢性睡眠中断与照顾者日间功能的关系。此外，该项目还将为申请人提供临床研究和干预研究的设计，实施和分析方面的专业知识，使用活动记录仪作为睡眠的客观测量方法，以及睡眠剥夺，睡眠和抑郁症方面的专业培训，以及与慢性身心健康障碍儿童家庭研究相关的伦理问题。拟议的研究和职业发展活动将为Meltzer博士提供发展成为独立研究者的技能，该研究计划侧重于儿科人群的护理人员。与公共卫生的相关性：虽然照顾亲人的人的服务估计价值2570亿美元，但照顾者往往将自己的健康和福祉置于危险之中。大约8%的儿童患有慢性病，使父母成为照顾者。这种一天24小时的工作往往会导致抑郁症的症状加重。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this mentored clinical career development award is to provide Dr. Lisa Meltzer with the experience and knowledge necessary to become an independent clinical researcher, bridging the fields of pediatric psychology and sleep medicine. Dr. Meltzer, a clinical psychologist, will accomplish this goal through a combination of directed reading, seminars, coursework, and mentored research. A highly qualified team of mentors will supervise her training and research, ensuring that she meets her goals. Dr. Meltzer will be examining sleep, depression, and psychosocial risk factors in pediatric caregivers. The specific aims of this proposal are:1) to characterize sleep patterns and daytime functioning (mood disturbances, fatigue, and executive functioning) in caregivers of ventilator-dependent children (VDC) and caregivers of healthy children, 2) to identify risk and protective factors related to caregiver burden and depressive symptoms in caregivers, 3) to examine sleep as a mediator of the relationship between caregiver burden and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and 4) to develop and evaluate a brief intervention designed to improve caregiver sleep, with the indirect benefit of improving symptoms of depression and fatigue. These aims will be accomplished with two studies: Study 1 is an evaluation of sleep, depressive symptoms, and psychosocial risk factors in caregivers of children who are ventilator-dependent and caregivers of healthy control children. Study 2 is a pilot intervention to improve sleep quality and quantity in caregivers. This project will address gaps in the scientific literature related to the empirical measurement of caregiver burden for parents of children with chronic physical or mental health disorders, the impact of caregiving on mood, fatigue, and executive functioning, and how chronic sleep disruption is related to caregiver daytime functioning. In addition, this project will provide the applicant with expertise in the design, implementation, and analysis of clinical research and intervention studies, the use of actigraphy as an objective measure of sleep, and specialized training in sleep deprivation, sleep and depression, and ethical issues related to research with families of children with chronic physical or mental health disorders. The proposed study and career development activities will provide Dr. Meltzer with the skills to develop into an independent investigator with a program of research focusing on caregivers of pediatric populations. Relevance to Public Health: While the services of people who care for loved ones are estimated to be worth $257 billion, caregivers often put their own health and well-being at risk. Approximately 8% of children have a chronic condition that transforms parents into caregivers. This 24-hour a day job often results in elevated symptoms of depression.