Nightmare distress, nightmare frequency, and beliefs about nightmares
Michael Schredl, Louisa Holyba, Tina Köllmer, Jessica Körfer, Annika Proß
University Library Heidelberg May 23, 2019 DOI: 10.11588/ijodr.2019.2.62531 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,056 |
| Population | Adults who completed an online survey |
| Measures | Beliefs about Nightmares Scale |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Distress Psychoeducation Clinical psychology Intervention counseling |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Beliefs about nightmares, measured by a newly developed 6-item scale, independently predicted nightmare distress beyond nightmare frequency. The authors propose that psychoeducation about nightmares could be a beneficial intervention to reduce both nightmare frequency and distress. |
Abstract
The diagnosis of a nightmare disorder is based on clinically significant distress caused by the nightmares and, therefore, empirical research should focus on studying factors that affect nightmare distress in addition to nightmare frequency. Overall, 2056 persons (1212 woman, 844 men) completed the online survey. A reliable 6-item scale measuring beliefs about nightmares was developed. The beliefs about nightmares scale contributed to nightmare distress independently from nightmare frequency. From a clinical viewpoint, it would be desirable to carry out intervention studies looking at the effect of psychoeducation about nightmares on nightmare frequency and nightmare distress.