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Nightmares and Stress in Children
Michael Schredl, Ph. D., Jana Biemelt, Katharina Roos, Tanja Dünkel, and Nora Harris
Objective: Whereas the effect of stress on nightmare frequency is well-documented
in adults, research on this topic in children is scarce. In addition, these studies are often
based on data obtained from the parents which may not be valid with regard to
nightmare frequency and subjective stress levels.
Method: 95 school children (fifth grade; age range: 9 to 11 years) completed a
questionnaire about the occurrence of stressors, their subjective stress level and
nightmare frequency.
Results: The findings indicate that interindividual differences in nightmare frequency
were explained by social stressors like quarreling with a sibling, death of a close person
and chronic illness of a close person.
Conclusions: The next step will be a longitudinal study measuring the occurrence of
stressors as well as personality dimensions and the occurrence of nightmares and their
content by applying diaries and self-rated scales together with information obtained
from the parents.
| Keywords: nightmares, children, stress |
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