Associations between Nightmare Frequency, Nightmare Distress, and Psychopathological Problems among Chinese College Students: a Population-based Survey.
Meiheng He, Meng Sun, Xiaoting Liu, Dongfang Wang
The Psychiatric quarterly October 9, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s11126-025-10228-5 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAmong 5,824 Chinese college students, 5.9% reported having nightmares at least once a month in the past year, and 31.9% reported at least one nightmare in the past month. Three distinct profiles of nightmare distress were identified, and a score of 37 was the optimal cutoff for severe distress. Female students and sophomores or juniors were more likely to experience frequent nightmares, while higher family income was linked to lower nightmare frequency and distress. Both nightmare frequency and distress were positively associated with psychopathological symptoms, indicating that nightmares are a clinically significant concern in this population.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5,824 |
| Population | Chinese college students |
| Keywords | College students Nightmare distress Nightmare frequency Prevalence Psychopathological symptoms |
| Key finding | Nightmares are prevalent among Chinese college students, with 5.9% reporting monthly nightmares and 31.9% reporting at least one nightmare in the past month, and both nightmare frequency and distress are positively associated with psychopathological symptoms. |
Abstract
Nightmares are associated with psychopathological symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nightmares and heterogeneity of nightmare distress and examine the association between nightmares and mental health problems with a broader sample of Chinese college students. A total of 5,824 college students were assessed in our study. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire to assess their nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, and a range of psychopathological symptoms. The results showed that 5.9% of participants reported having nightmares at least once a month in the past year, while 31.9% reported having at least one nightmare experience in the past month. Three distinct profiles of nightmare distress were identified according to their degrees. Moreover, an optimal cut-off score of 37 was established for severe nightmare distress. Ordinal regression analysis showed that the female, sophomore and junior were more likely to suffer from nightmares, whereas family income was negatively associated with nightmare frequency. In addition, the female increased the risk of nightmare distress levels, while higher family income was a protective factor for nightmare distress status. And nightmare frequency and distress were positively associated with psychopathological symptoms. These findings suggested that nightmares are prevalent among Chinese college students. Both nightmare frequency and nightmare distress are clinically significant and should be prioritized as a primary focus for intervention.