Dreaming during the COVID-19 lockdown: a comparison of Italian adolescents and adults
Research in Psychotherapy Psychopathology Process and Outcome August 12, 2021 Massimiliano Sommantico, Ilaria Iorio, Marina Lacatena et al. 10 citations
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.