Manifest dream content as a possible predictor of suicidality.
Psychodynamic psychiatry December 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1521/pdps.2014.42.4.657 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6 |
| Population | Clinically depressed patients: three non-suicidal and three potentially or acutely suicidal |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Humans Suicide Dreams Mental disorders Middle aged Female |
| Key findings | The author reports apparent differences between the manifest dream themes of clinically depressed non-suicidal patients and those of clinically depressed potentially or acutely suicidal patients. Dreams in the suicidal group reportedly included active harm or violence toward the dreamer, dying or being dead, and aloneness, while both groups shared themes of loss, rejection, vulnerability, hopelessness, and helplessness. The author proposes that manifest dream content may be one predictor of suicidality, though the study is described as preliminary. |
Abstract
The prediction of suicidal intent remains a clinical problem. This presentation illustrates that a distinction may be made between the manifest dream reports of patients who are potentially or acutely suicidal and those who are not. A review of the literature reveals that the manifest dream reports of clinically depressed, non-suicidal individuals differ from those who are depressed and acutely suicidal. The former contain themes of loss, disappointment, rejection, helplessness, hopelessness, failure, and death. The latter contain themes of dying, death, destruction, and violence directed toward the dreamer or others, as well as hopelessness and helplessness. The author collected manifest dream reports from three clinically depressed, non-suicidal patients and three clinically depressed, potentially or acutely suicidal patients. There are apparent differences between the themes of manifest dream reports in the clinically depressed, non-suicidal patients and the clinically depressed, potentially or acutely suicidal patients. The former contain themes of death, loss, rejection, vulnerability, hopelessness, and helplessness. The latter contain themes of active harm or violence (specifically toward the dreamer), dying or being dead, aloneness, vulnerability, hopelessness, and helplessness. Clinical cases and corresponding manifest dream reports are presented. Although this is a preliminary study, it is possible that manifest dream content may be used as one of the predictors of suicidality, in conjunction with latent dream content, diagnosis, life circumstance, and clinical status.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study The author | 1980 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares People with recurrent nightmares | 2010 | Case study | n = 5 |
| Treating Chronic Nightmares of Sexual Assault Survivors with an Intellectual Disability – Two Descriptive Case Studies Adults with learning disabilities suffering from post-traumatic nightmares | 2006 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Lucid dreaming: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during rem sleep A lucid dreamer | 1984 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: A series of cases. Participants with nightmares | 2003 | Case series | n = 8 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 3
- Initial and last manifest dream reports of patients in psychodynamic psychotherapy and combined psychotherapy/pharmacotherapy. Psychodynamic psychiatry December 1, 2012
- The clinical and predictive value of the initial dream of treatment. The journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry 2011
- Changes in manifest dream affect during psychoanalytic treatment. The journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry 2006