Dreaming in the time of COVID-19: A quali-quantitative Italian study.
Ilaria Iorio, Massimiliano Sommantico, Santa Parrello
Dreaming September 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1037/drm0000142 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 796 |
| Population | Italian adults aged 18-79 |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Dream Content measure theory Tone literature 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak Developmental psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 46 |
| Key findings | Dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic frequently contained negative emotions and explicit references to the pandemic, with women and those personally affected by the virus reporting more intense and negative dream content. |
Abstract
Based on the continuity hypothesis of dreaming with waking life, we have studied the effects of isolation on the dreams of Italian persons, during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic The present study included a sample of 796 subjects (73 2% women;ages 18-79 years, M = 30 3, SD = 12 8) Participants were asked to complete a dream questionnaire, as well as to report their most recent dream, by responding to specific questions related to the content of their dream (e g , realism/bizarreness, positive vs negative emotions, emotional intensity and tone) Results indicate the following: Female participants were higher recallers than men and reported higher emotional intensity and a predominantly negative emotional tone of their dreams, as well as higher negative emotions and sensory impressions in their most recent dreams;159 dreams (20%) included explicit COVID-19 references;participants knowing people affected by or who have died of COVID-19 report higher emotional intensity and sensory impressions in their most recent dreams;and the most recent dreams have been set in external locations and have presented strong negative emotions, especially with respect to dangerous, violent, and frustrating situations In sum, the findings of this study indicate that the method of quali-quantitative dream content analysis is a very informative approach for studying the effects of significant contextual and catastrophic events, such as COVID-19 pandemic, on people's inner lives
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Undergraduate students at a large, public university in the southeastern United States | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional survey | n = 583 |
| Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese adults from the community, mean age 40.9 years (SD 5.5,... | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey with subsequent clinical evaluation (two-phase design) | n = 8,558 |
| Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Adults (general population sample) | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling | n = 444 |
| The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams | 2014 | Online survey | n = 684 |
| Frequency of Lucid Dreaming in a Representative German Sample Representative sample of German adults | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 919 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- The impact of the end of COVID confinement on pandemic dreams, as assessed by a weekly sleep diary: a longitudinal investigation in Italy. Journal of Sleep Research February 1, 2022
- Dreams and Nightmares during the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Study. Brain Sciences October 20, 2021
- Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Dreaming in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: Survey Among a Sample of European School Students Frontiers in Psychology April 20, 2021
- Strange themes in pandemic dreams: Insomnia was associated with more negative, anxious and death‐related dreams during the COVID‐19 pandemic Journal of Sleep Research June 14, 2022
and 19 more in the library