Dreaming in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: Survey Among a Sample of European School Students
Ana Guerrero-Gomez, Isabel Nöthen-Garunja, Michael Schredl, Annelore Homberg, Maria Vulcan, Asja Brusìc, Caterina Bonizzi, Cecilia Iannaco
Frontiers in Psychology April 20, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.652627 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,105 |
| Population | Secondary school students in Italy, Romania, and Croatia |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Pandemic Recall Dream Distress Mental health Sample material Clinical psychology Demography Developmental psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Subjective emotional reactions to lockdown had a significantly higher correlation to dreaming than objective distress from COVID-19 illness or death of a close one. |
Abstract
According to the continuity hypothesis of dreaming and contemporary psychodynamic approaches, dreams reflect waking life. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and dreaming in adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Italy, Romania and Croatia involving 2,105 secondary school students (69% girls, mean age 15.6 ± 2.1 years; 31% boys, mean age 15.1 ± 2.2 years; mean age of whole sample 15.4 ± 2.1 years). No substantial differences between countries were found. Thirty-one percent of the participants reported heightened dream recall, 18% noticed an increase in nightmares during the lockdown, and 15% of the provided dreams ( n = 498) included pandemic-related content. The results indicate that subjective emotional reactions to lockdown had a significantly higher correlation to dreaming than objective distress (i.e., illness or death of a close one because of COVID-19). These findings suggest that attention to dreams should be included in preventive programs for adolescents with pandemic-related stress.