Among 1,451 students at a Chinese university, 63.61% reported having nightmares in the past year, and 4.69% were diagnosed with nightmare disorder, with a higher prevalence in women. Patients with nightmare disorder scored higher on measures of nightmare experience and depressive mood than healthy students. Depression scores correlated with physical effects of nightmares in patients and with negative emotions in healthy students. These findings highlight the prevalence and impact of nightmare disorder in university populations.
People with nightmare disorder experience more frequent and intense nightmares than healthy individuals, and they also show higher levels of certain personality disorder traits, including paranoid, schizotypal, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent styles. In healthy volunteers, borderline, schizotypal, and passive-aggressive traits predicted aspects of nightmare experience, while in patients, dependent, avoidant, histrionic, and paranoid traits were significant predictors. These findings suggest that personality features are closely linked to nightmare experiences, particularly in those with nightmare disorder, and that therapy addressing personality adjustment may be beneficial.