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
Psychiatric Quarterly October 9, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s11126-025-10228-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5,824 |
| Population | Chinese college students |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | College students Nightmare distress Nightmare frequency Prevalence Psychopathological symptoms |
| Key findings | 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.
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
Cites 21
- 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
- Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Sleep June 1, 2010
- Nightmares in the general population: identifying potential causal factors Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology July 15, 2017
and 16 more in the library