Experiencing a nightmare is a common phenomenon, particularly among the general adolescent population. Several consequences have been linked to nightmares and can have a severe impact on mental healtheven leading to an increased risk of suicide.
The experience has been characterized as dysphoric, frightening, or disturbing dreams that can inflict intense irritability and lead to interrupted sleep. As the prevalence of nightmares experienced by an individual increases, so does their vulnerability to insomniadaytime sleepiness, anxiety and depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), behavioral problems, and impaired psychosocial function.
While previous evidence has shown that adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia encounter this dysphoric sleep state more often than the general population, there is a lack of evidence when it comes to adolescents with MDD. .
Insomnia, Nightmares and Depression in Adolescents
Researchers included Shuang-Jiang Zhou; Jing-Xu Chen, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical School of Medicine, aimed to correct the gap in the literature on the prevalence of nightmares among adolescents with major depressive disorder. The team carried out a large-scale cross-sectional investigation in outpatient centers of 4 large psychiatric hospitals in China between January and October 2021.
Participating individuals were between 12 and 18 years of age with a DSM-IV diagnosis of major depressive disorder and were not receiving any treatment at the time of their depressive episode. Those with significant physical illness, another mental illness, substance abuse or dependence, who were pregnant or had undergone treatment with electroconvulsive therapy in the last month were excluded. The healthy control group was matched for sex and age with no personal or family history of mental illness.
Analysis measures consisted of insomnia, daytime sleepiness, nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, depression severity, anxiety severity, and suicide risk.
The relationship between nightmares and suicide risk
The results revealed that the depressed group had a higher proportion of insomnia and suicide risk, as well as a higher frequency of nightmares compared to the control group.
Of the adolescents with depression, 67.5% experienced nightmares in the previous month, compared to 28.7% of the control group. On a weekly basis, the rate for the control group was 6%, while the rate among adolescents with depression was 28.7%. Both sets of relationships were considered statistically significant.
A statistically significant association was identified between the risk of suicide and the frequency of nightmares. Suicide risk was present in 38.1% of the depression group, and of that subpopulation, 51.6% experienced frequent nightmares, a significantly higher rate than those without suicide risk.
The researchers also found that the risk of suicide was higher among adolescents with a recurrent depressive episode compared to those experiencing the first. Severe nightmare distress in those at risk for suicide (54.7%) was notable compared to those without risk for suicide (24.3%).
“In conclusion, the current study, which included a large clinical population, provides evidence that nightmares occur frequently among adolescent patients with MDD,” the researchers wrote.
“Furthermore, the results of this study demonstrate that nightmare distress is independently associated with an increased risk of suicide. These findings may have important implications for future research on the mechanisms of nocturnal suicide and for identifying people who are at risk.” the risk of committing suicide by inquiring about nightmare distress Given that nightmares are potentially modifiable, and the clinical efficacy of psychotherapy is well documented, intervention programs aimed at addressing nightmare-related distress may play an important role in prevention of suicide among adolescents with MDD.
The study “Suffering from nightmares as a risk factor for suicide in adolescents with major depressive disorderwas published in Nature and science of sleep.
