1195 Exploring Dream Self-Efficacy’s Relationship with Suicide
Westley Youngren, Emma Angle, Victoria West Staples, Sarina Soligo, Adam Horowitz, Michelle Carr, Guillermo Bernal, Michael A. Grandner, Robert Stickgold
Sleep May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaf090.1195 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects repeated measures Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Participants who completed the TDI protocol |
| Intervention | Targeted Dream Incubation (TDI) |
| Duration | 1.5-hour nap, with pre-nap, post-nap, and one-week follow-up assessments |
| Key points | Dream self-efficacy increased after TDI and was negatively correlated with and predictive of suicidal cognitions. |
Abstract
Research has begun to identify self-efficacy as a crucial variable related to positive treatment outcomes. For treatments targeting nightmares, self-efficacy related to dreaming (DSE) has been proposed to be a key mechanism of change. Additionally, a robust amount of research exists that links nightmares to suicide, suggesting that mechanisms related to trauma-related nightmares may also be related to suicide. Thus, we sought to explore the relationship between DSE and suicide in a protocol that actively attempted to increase DSE. Fifteen participants completed our Targeted Dream Incubation (TDI) protocol, which includes cueing participants for dream reports once hypnogogic sleep is detected, then after dream reports giving participants the following cue, “while you try to fall asleep, try and think of a tree”. Then after the cue is given, allowing participants to continue sleeping. The protocol included a pre-nap assessment (baseline), a 1.5-hour nap, a post-nap assessment, and a one-week follow-up assessment. In all assessments, we measured DSE. Cognitions related to suicide were measured at baseline and one-week follow-up. Non-parametric mean comparison analyses and bivariate regressions were used to analyses our aims. Post-nap DSE scores (t = -2.11, p < 0.05) and follow-up DSE scores (t = -1.89, p < 0.05) significantly increased after the TDI protocol. Pre-nap DSE (r = -0.59), Post-nap DSE (r = -0.66) and follow-up DSE (r = -0.74) were all significantly negatively correlated with follow-up cognitions related to suicide (p < 0.05). The change of DSE between baseline and follow-up was significantly negatively predictive of cognitions related to suicide (b = -0.24, p < 005). Our results are the first of their kind to demonstrate the DSE is both correlated with and predictive of cognitions related to suicide. Furthermore, our results highlight that changes in DSE brought about by TDI may reduce suicidal cognitions. Future research should examine DSE, suicide, and TDI under the context of a trauma-related nightmare intervention. Although statistical power was accounted for, our small sample size was small and directly impacts generalizability. Further data collection is needed to strengthen and confirm our findings.