Nighttime Fears and Coping Responses in School-Aged Children: A Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

Background: Nighttime fears are common among school-aged children and may be linked to psychological difficulties, while coping strategies may vary and affect their emotional well-being. This study aimed to identify patterns of nighttime fears and coping styles in school-aged children using Latent Profile Analysis. Subsequently, possible predictors of the latent profiles were tested through multinomial logistic regression analysis. Method: A sample of 786 Spanish-speaking children (aged 8 to 12; Mage = 9.66, SD = 1.20; 51.3% girls) participated and completed self-report measures of nighttime fears and coping responses. Results: The results revealed four latent profiles: (1)“low fears, low self-control” (24.2%), (2)“high fears (except for imaginary fears), maladaptive coping” (22.8%), (3)“moderate fears, adaptive coping” (44.9%), and (4)“high fears, maladaptive coping” (8.1%). The regression analysis revealed that sociodemographic characteristics and children’s perceived helpfulness of coping strategies were predictors of the latent profiles. Conclusions: These findings suggest the presence of distinct patterns and heterogeneous subgroups, which may emerge as higher or lower risk profiles. It highlights the need to consider the existing patterns to provide tailored interventions targeting nighttime fears.