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The phenomenology of nightmares in post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder

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dc.contributor.authorSimos, Alyssia
dc.contributor.authorBerle, David
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-01T23:47:56Z
dc.date.available2024-07-01T23:47:56Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.date.updated2024-05-19T08:17:22Z
dc.description.abstractIntroduction Nightmares are a re-experiencing symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD). They are intrusive, involuntary and have a significant impact on wellbeing, suggesting they have substantial clinical relevance. However, little is known about the phenomenological features of post-traumatic nightmares and how they are associated with the severity of PTSD and CPTSD symptoms. Method Participants (N = 398) who identified that they had experienced a lifetime trauma completed various self-report questionnaires related to PTSD symptoms, CPTSD symptoms and nightmare characteristics. Participants also described their sensory experiences and rated the emotional intensity and vividness of their post-traumatic nightmares. Results We found that elevated scores on various characteristics of nightmares including frequency of awakenings, nightmare severity, impact on wellbeing and the perceived realism of the nightmare were linked to more severe PTSD and CPTSD symptoms. Further, increased frequency, vividness, and emotional intensity of nightmares significantly predicted more severe PTSD symptoms but not CPTSD symptoms. Conclusions Our study was largely exploratory and was the first to identify that specific nightmare features are related to PTSD and CPTSD symptom severity. However, although nightmare features of frequency, vividness and intensity appear to be related to CPTSD symptom severity, other variables may better predict CPTSD symptoms. Possible explanations for our findings, implications for treatment and directions for future research are discussed.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.issn2468-7499
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1885/733713619
dc.language.isoen_AUen_AU
dc.provenanceThis is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
dc.publisherElsevier Masson
dc.rights© 2023 The authors
dc.rights.licenseCreative Commons Attribution licence
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.sourceEuropean Journal of Trauma & Dissociation
dc.subjectComplex-post-traumatic stress disorder
dc.subjectNightmares
dc.subjectMental-imagery
dc.subjectPost-traumatic stress disorder
dc.subjectTrauma
dc.titleThe phenomenology of nightmares in post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder
dc.typeJournal article
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
local.bibliographicCitation.issue3
local.contributor.affiliationSimos, Alyssia, University of Technology
local.contributor.affiliationBerle, David, College of Health and Medicine, ANU
local.contributor.authoremailu3089467@anu.edu.au
local.contributor.authoruidBerle, David, u3089467
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.absfor520300 - Clinical and health psychology
local.identifier.ariespublicationa383154xPUB43551
local.identifier.citationvolume7
local.identifier.doi10.1016/j.ejtd.2023.100335
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-85164330722
local.identifier.uidSubmittedBya383154
local.publisher.urlhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/
local.type.statusPublished Version

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