Clinical importance of nightmare disorder in patients with dissociative disorders
Mehmet Yucel Agargun, Hayrettin Kara, Ömer Akil Özer, Yavuz Selvi, Ümit Kiran, Betül Özer
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 2003 DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1819.2003.01169.x (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAmong 30 patients with dissociative disorders, 57% also met criteria for nightmare disorder. Those with both conditions were more likely to engage in self-mutilative behavior, have attempted suicide in the past year, and have a comorbid diagnosis of borderline personality disorder compared to dissociative patients without nightmares. The findings suggest that nightmares and dreams warrant attention in the treatment of dissociative disorders.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Patients with dissociative disorders recruited from a university hospital psychiatry department |
| Key finding | 57% of patients with dissociative disorders had comorbid nightmare disorder, and those with nightmare disorder showed higher rates of self-mutilative behavior, recent suicide attempts, and borderline personality disorder comorbidity. |
Abstract
Abstract In the present study the prevalence of nightmare disorder (ND) was examined in patients with dissociative disorders (DD), and comparison was made between those with ND and those without nightmares in terms of clinical characteristics. The 30 patients with DD (5 male and 25 female) were recruited over 12 months in the Yüzüncü Yil University Research Hospital Department of Psychiatry. The subjects were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn) criteria for ND. The Dissociative Experiences Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and a semistructured interview schedule for childhood traumatic events were administered to the subjects. A 57% prevalence of ND was found among patients with DD. Among patients with DD, those with ND had a higher rate of self‐mutilative behavior, a history of suicide attempt in the last year, and comorbidity with borderline personality disorder than those without ND. Nightmares or dreams should be considered in the therapy of DD patients.