• A Charles Sturt University Bachelor of Psychology honours graduate has published her first research paper in the Journal of Sleep Research
• The study investigates links between sleep and depression for mothers beyond the postpartum period
• The research was published in the lead up to Sleep Awareness Week which runs from Monday 31 July to Sunday 6 August

A Charles Sturt University honours graduate is helping thousands of Australians dealing with maternal depression to better understand the causes of the condition.

Recent Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) graduate in the Charles Sturt University School of Psychology, Ms Alyssa Carroll, has published her first research paper, ‘Child sleep problems, maternal sleep and self-efficacy: Sleep’s complicated role in maternal depression’.

“The idealisation of parenthood can result in isolation, unrealistic expectations and stigmatisation for parents who experience challenges,” Ms Carroll said.

“Our study contributes to the normalisation of common early motherhood experiences by shedding light on the prevalent difficulties related to sleep, confidence, and depression faced by mothers of children up to five years old.

“This research is also crucial for informing evidence-based strategies and providing long-term support.”

The study captured rare evidence on maternal depression and sleep patterns beyond the postpartum period, showing that mothers suffer with depressive symptoms and sleep problems up to five years postpartum.

Published in the Journal of Sleep Research, the study also found that mothers’ self-efficacy related to caring for their child directly influenced their sleep and depressive symptoms.

“Empowering mothers with greater parenting confidence, particularly when facing challenging sleep situations, holds the potential to reduce the risk of depression beyond the postpartum period,” Ms Carroll said.

“By addressing sleep issues in both parents and children and implementing evidence-based interventions that foster self-efficacy, we can effectively reduce the risk of maternal depression.”

This week is recognised as Sleep Awareness Week across Australia. Co-author of the paper and Senior Lecturer in the Charles Sturt University School of Psychology, Dr Keith Harris, said research like this was vital in improving mental health outcomes related to sleep.

“Getting a study published is a whole new project. It has been inspiring to see Alyssa’s dedication to make this significant achievement, but also her follow-up,” Dr Harris said.

“Research findings provide no benefit if they are not disseminated, and Alyssa is now taking on that challenge as well as aiming for further contributions to the field.”

The data behind the paper was initially collected in 2019 for the development of the ‘Sleep Well Baby’ app, but in 2020, was re-analysed for the current research as part of Ms Carroll’s honours project.

To collect the data, a questionnaire was advertised on Sleep Fit and Tresillian social media, the latter of which collaborated with Charles Sturt to analyse the data for Ms Carroll’s honours research thesis.

Ms Carroll is now hoping her work will progress to a PhD study as she continues working casually tutoring for the University and as a provisional psychologist.

“I hope to develop my career in psychology and academia by continuing research in clinical psychology and sleep to contribute to the development of evidenced-based therapy,” she said.

ENDS