Nightmares mediate the association between traumatic event exposure and suicidal ideation in frontline medical workers exposed to COVID-19
Journal of Affective Disorders February 1, 2022 Jianyu Que, Le Shi, Wei Yan et al.
Among 16,220 hospital workers in Wuhan, China, surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic, 13.3% reported suicidal ideation in the past month. Exposure to COVID-19-related traumatic events was significantly associated with insomnia severity, nightmare frequency, and suicidal ideation. After controlling for potential confounders, nightmares—but not insomnia, depression, or anxiety—were independent risk factors for suicidal ideation. Pathway analyses indicated that the relationship between traumatic event exposure and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by nightmares, with a proportion mediated of 66.4%. The authors suggest that nightmare intervention might be considered a component of suicide prevention strategies.