Seeking help for nightmares in adolescents
Somnologie - Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin December 8, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s11818-023-00436-1 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAdolescents with frequent nightmares rarely seek professional help. In a study of 100 adolescents aged around 15 years, none had ever sought help for nightmares, even though 21 reported having nightmares once a week or more often or found them quite or very distressing. Nightmares are linked to mental health problems in adolescents and can continue into adulthood, highlighting the need to find ways to reduce untreated nightmare sufferers in this age group.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Adolescents with a mean age of 15.30 ± 0.80 years, 50 female and 50 male |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Distressing Nothing Psychiatry Clinical psychology |
| Key finding | None of the adolescents ever sought professional help for nightmares, despite 21 reporting frequent or distressing nightmares. |
Abstract
Abstract Research indicates that adults suffering from nightmares rarely seek professional help for their condition. However, nothing is known about the help-seeking behavior in adolescents with frequent nightmares. In a sample of 100 adolescents (50 female, 50 male) with a mean age of 15.30 ± 0.80 years, it was found that none of them ever sought professional help for nightmares, even though 21 participants (15 females, 6 males) reported frequent nightmares (once a week or more often) and/or quite or very distressing nightmares. As nightmares are associated with a variety of mental problems in adolescents and can persist into adulthood, it seems very important to find ways to reduce the number of untreated nightmare sufferers in this age group.