Exploring Thematic Nightmare Content and Associated Self-Harm Risk.
Kevin D Hochard, Sam Ashcroft, Janine Carroll, Nadja Heym, Ellen Townsend
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior September 28, 2017 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12402 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-method diary study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 72 |
| Population | Adults who submitted prospective nightmare reports |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Humans Risk assessment Risk factors Self-injurious behavior Dreams Psychological techniques Qualitative research Adult Female |
| Key points | The nightmare theme "Powerlessness to Change Behavior" was associated with a history of self-harm engagement, whereas "Financial Hardship" indicated reduced risk. No nightmare themes were significantly associated with increased risk of self-harm phenomena the morning following a nightmare. The authors argue nightmare content may aid detection of lifetime self-harm history, but that nightmare symptom severity remains a better indicator of risk. |
Abstract
Nightmares have been shown to be robust predictors of self-harm risk, beyond depressive symptoms and hopelessness at times. However, few studies have investigated associations between nightmare content and increased self-harm risk. This study explored associations of thematic nightmare content with history of self-harm, and risk of self-harm phenomena the morning following a nightmare. A mixed-method diary study was performed. Prospective nightmare reports were obtained from 72 participants. A total of 47 nightmare reports met inclusion criteria and were analyzed for themes using inductive thematic analysis. Chi-square and bootstrap Pearson's correlation tests were performed to assess the associations between nightmare themes and self-harm history, and risk of self-harm phenomena following a nightmare. "Powerlessness to Change Behavior" was associated with a history of self-harm engagement, whereas "Financial Hardship" indicated reduced risk. Themes were not significantly associated with increased risk of self-harm phenomena following a nightmare. Content may be of use in detecting lifetime history of self-harm engagement, particularly in populations where disclosure is seen as taboo. However, nightmare symptom severity remains a better indicator of risk. Evidence for the utility of nightmare content in assessing immediate self-harm risk is presently lacking. Replication with increased power is recommended.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Other as a Nightmare: The Israeli-Arab Encounter as Reflected in Children's Dreams in Israel and the West Bank Jewish and Arab fifth to seventh graders living in various settings in Israel and the... | 1989 | Qualitative content analysis | n = 212 |
| Nonwaking Responses to Waking Stressors: Dreams and Nightmares1 Men from the cohort eligible for military duty during the Vietnam Conflict, varying in... | 1990 | Survey interview study | n = 442 |
| Communing with the Gods: The Dreaming Brain in Cross-cultural Perspective | 2011 | Phenomenological study | |
| Partial memory reinstatement while (lucid) dreaming to change the dream environment. Lucid dreamers | 2020 | Qualitative study | |
| Strange themes in pandemic dreams: Insomnia was associated with more negative, anxious and death‐related dreams during the COVID‐19 pandemic Global survey participants | 2022 | Longitudinal mixed-methods study | n = 2,240 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- The Relationship between Nightmare Experience and Athletes’ Personality Traits and Anxiety International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health October 8, 2022
- Nightmare experience and personality disorder functioning styles in healthy volunteers and nightmare disorder patients Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic September 1, 2020
Cites 8
- Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Sleep 2011
- Measuring nightmare and bad dream frequency: impact of retrospective and prospective instruments Journal of Sleep Research May 13, 2008
- Nightmares as predictors of suicide: an extension study including war veterans. Scientific Reports March 15, 2017
- Nightmares and Suicide in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Mediating Role of Defeat, Entrapment, and Hopelessness. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine March 1, 2016
- Unpacking Sleep and Suicide in Older Adults in a Combined Online Sample. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine December 15, 2015
and 3 more in the library