Abstract Mkid 91

Disturbances of sleep pattern and dream experience are quite common in patients with major depression (MD). The aim of this study was to compare patients with or without melancholic features and controls with respect to dream anxiety. Fifteen depressive patients with melancholic features (MD+M), 23 patients without melancholic features (MD-M), and 41 healthy controls were included in the study. Data were collected by using Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS), Van Dream Anxiety Scale (VDAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Dream Diary. Statistical analyses displayed that VDAS and PSQI scores were significantly higher in the MD+M group compared to the MD-M group and the control group. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between VDAS scores and HRSD, HAS and PSQI scores of the patients. VDAS score was identified as the variable most significantly discriminating the three groups from each other. Based on these findings, we may suggest that the level of dream anxiety is high in patients with MD, particularly in those with melancholic features, and that the level of dream anxiety can be used to discriminant cases with melancholic features from those without melancholic features.