During the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of 796 Italian adults (73.2% women, ages 18–79) found that dreams reflected waking-life distress. Women recalled dreams more often than men and reported more intense emotions, a predominantly negative tone, and more negative emotions and sensory impressions in their most recent dreams. Of all dreams reported, 159 (20%) explicitly referenced COVID-19. Participants who knew someone affected by or who had died of COVID-19 reported higher emotional intensity and sensory impressions in their most recent dreams. Most recent dreams were set in external locations and featured strong negative emotions, particularly involving danger, violence, and frustration. The findings suggest that analyzing dream content can reveal how catastrophic events affect people's inner lives.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Italian adolescents aged 12-18 reported that their dreams were marked by strong negative emotions, especially related to dangerous, violent, and frustrating situations. Girls recalled, shared, and recorded dreams more often than boys, and reported higher emotional intensity, predominantly negative emotions, and more nightmares, including recurrent ones. Participants who more frequently recalled their dreams attributed significantly higher meaning to them and were more interested in dreaming and dream-related interpretations. The most recent dreams were set in both internal and external settings, with many family members and friends present.
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown measures significantly altered the dreams of Italian adolescents and adults. Adults reported longer dreams with higher emotional intensity, more negative emotions, and more sensory impressions than adolescents. Those most directly affected by the pandemic, especially adolescents, showed the strongest effects on their dreams. Women recalled dreams more often than men and also reported higher emotional intensity, more negative emotions, and more sensory impressions. Thematic analysis revealed that adults' dreams centered on pleasant memories of now-forbidden activities (e.g., traveling, meeting friends) and nightmares, while adolescents' dreams focused on relationships. Both groups reported dreams about home confinement accompanied by negative emotions.