The Effect of a Psychotherapy Protocol on Dream Awareness in Adults With Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Siamak Khodarahimi, Fazlolah Mirderikvand, Kourosh Amraei
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease April 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001292 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA randomized clinical trial tested an Affective and Sensory Psychotherapy Protocol (ASPP) against a control condition in 60 adults with generalized anxiety disorder. After treatment and at a 3-month follow-up, the ASPP group showed significantly greater dream recall, more positive attitudes toward dreams, and higher total dream scores compared to the control group. No sex differences were observed in these effects. The findings suggest that this psychotherapy protocol can enhance dream awareness in people with generalized anxiety disorder.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Self-referred male and female adults with generalized anxiety disorder |
| Intervention | Affective and Sensory Psychotherapy Protocol (ASPP) |
| Duration | 3-month follow-up |
| Key finding | The Affective and Sensory Psychotherapy Protocol significantly increased dream recall, attitude toward dreams, and total dream score in adults with generalized anxiety disorder compared to a control group. |
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effect of an Affective and Sensory Psychotherapy Protocol (ASPP) on dream awareness in adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). For this purpose, 60 self-referred male and female adults were studied within a randomized clinical trial. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale and the Mannheim Dream Questionnaire were used at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. No significant difference was observed between patients in the experimental and control groups at baseline. Findings showed that patients in the experimental group had a significant increase in dream recall, attitude toward dreams, and the total dream score than individuals in the control group. However, no sex difference was observed in the results for within-subject and between-group effects in the current study. The present research supported the influence of an ASPP on dream awareness in adults with GAD.