The Mediating Role of Resilience in the Relationship between Social Exclusion and Sleep Parameters in Refugee Children

Background: This study was conducted to examine the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between social exclusion and sleep status of refugee children. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive and relational study. The data were obtained through “Child Information Form”, “Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents”, “Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children” and “Child and Youth Resilience Measure”. A total of 791 refugee children were included in the study. The mediating role of resilience in the relationship between social exclusion and sleep status of refugee children was examined with Process Macro programme. Results: Social exclusion has a statistically significant positive effect on sleep disturbance (β1=0.960; p<0.001). 92% of the change in sleep disturbance score is explained by social exclusion score (R2=0.920). The resilience is significantly negatively correlated with social exclusion (β1=-0.920; p<0.001). The social exclusion explains 84% of the resilience score (R2=0.840). If social exclusion increases by one point, there will be a 0.430 increase in sleep disturbance scores β1=0.430; p<0.001). If resilience increases by one point, there will be a 0.570 decreases in sleep disturbance scores β1=-0.570; p<0.001). The social exclusion and resilience scores explain 98% of sleep disturbance scores (R2 = 0.980). Conclusions: In our study, it was found that children’s resilience status played an important mediating role in the relationship between social exclusion and sleep status. It was detected that children with good adaptation skills and coping capacities had less impairment in sleep quality and duration. It was found that refugee children who were isolated and excluded from the society were negatively affected with respect to their sleep patterns whereas children who were not excluded and ignored in the society they lived in had better coping skills and fewer sleep disturbances.