Prevalence and Detailed Experience of Nightmare and Nightmare Disorder in Chinese University Students
Chu Wang, Jiayao Xu, Mufan Wang, Xu Shao, Wei Wang
Sage Open April 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1177/21582440211014193 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,451 |
| Population | University students at a comprehensive Chinese university |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Population Mental health Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Nightmare disorder prevalence was 4.69% among university students, with higher rates in women, and patients reported elevated nightmare experience and depressive symptoms compared to healthy students. |
Abstract
Nightmares influence the mental health of university students, but the prevalence of nightmare and nightmare disorder requires additional documentation. The data of detailed nightmare experience of nightmare disorder and related depressive mood in this population are also scarce. First, a total of 1,451 students in a comprehensive Chinese university were invited to report their nightmare frequency. Sixty-eight patients with nightmare disorder were diagnosed using a semi-structured clinical interview according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Second, 60 patients with nightmare disorder (8 of 68 patients were dismissed due to data incompletion) and 124 gender-matched, healthy students were invited to answer the Nightmare Experience Questionnaire (NEQ) and the Plutchik-van Praag Depression Inventory (PVP). Of 1,451 students, 923 reported nightmares (its annual prevalence was 63.61%), and 68 were diagnosed with nightmare disorder (its prevalence was 4.69%), with a female preponderance. The mean PVP and four NEQ scale scores in patients were higher than those in healthy students. The PVP scores were correlated with NEQ Physical Effect in patients, and with Negative Emotion in healthy students. This is the first report regarding nightmare disorder prevalence and detailed nightmare experience in university students. The findings of a high prevalence of nightmare disorder in women and elevated scores of nightmare experience among patients in the university population might help address the mechanisms and the management of patients with nightmare disorder.
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 4
- The Relationship between Nightmare Experience and Athletes’ Personality Traits and Anxiety International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health October 8, 2022
- Dreaming, insomnia, and choreographic creativity of young female dancers: a cross-sectional preliminary study Creativity Studies May 12, 2025
- Associations between Nightmare Frequency, Nightmare Distress, and Psychopathological Problems among Chinese College Students: a Population-based Survey. Psychiatric Quarterly October 9, 2025
- A prospective study of nightmare disorder among Chinese adults in Hong Kong: Persistence and mental health outcomes. Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2024
Cites 13
- Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Sleep 2011
- Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Sleep 2002
- The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Journal of Sleep Research May 26, 2004
- Self-Reported Effects of Dreams on Waking-Life Creativity: An Empirical Study The Journal of Psychology 2007
- Nightmares in the general population: identifying potential causal factors Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology July 15, 2017
and 8 more in the library