Nightmare experiences and perceived ethnic discrimination amongst female university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross‐sectional study
María Campo-Redondo, Gabriel Andrade
Journal of Sleep Research January 17, 2024 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14148 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 179 |
| Population | Female university students from the United Arab Emirates |
| Topics | Anxiety Dreaming |
| Keywords | Ethnic group Distress Clinical psychology Depression economics Cross-sectional study |
| Key findings | Perceived ethnic discrimination was a stronger predictor of nightmare experiences than anxiety or depression, although all were related. No significant ethnic differences appeared in nightmare experiences or perceived discrimination. |
Abstract
Perceived ethnic discrimination is known to be associated with anxiety and depression, and in turn, anxiety and depression are known to be associated with nightmare frequency and distress. This elicits a question: is perceived ethnic discrimination associated with nightmare frequency and distress? In this study, 179 female university students from the United Arab Emirates were assessed to answer that question. Results showed that while anxiety and depression were related to nightmare experiences, perceived ethnic discrimination was a stronger predictor of nightmare experiences. We posit two explanations for this finding: one based on psychoanalytical insights, and the other based on the Disposition-Stress model with neurobiological correlates. No significant differences were found across ethnicity when it comes to nightmare experiences or perceived ethnic discrimination. This is an encouraging sign of optimal societal integration in the United Arab Emirates.
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 25
- 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
- Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives Journal of Sleep Research January 29, 2019
- Amygdala and hippocampus volumetry and diffusivity in relation to dreaming Human Brain Mapping August 25, 2010
and 20 more in the library