Development of disturbing dreams during adolescence and their relation to anxiety symptoms

Study Objectives: This work assesses the prevalence and development of dist urbing dreams among adolescents and the association of these dreams with an xiety. Design: Sex differences in prevalence were analyzed with chi-square analyse s. Changes over time were assessed with Wilcoxon tests and cross-tabulation tables. Associations with anxiety and DSM-III-R symptoms were assessed wit h ANOVA designs. Setting: N/A Participants: A total of 610 boys and girls rated their recall of disturbin g and normal dreams at both 13 and 16 years of age. Subgroups of subjects w ere evaluated for anxiety symptoms at age 13 and for DSM-III-R symptoms of separation anxiety (SA), overanxious disorder (OD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) at age 16. Interventions: N/A Measurements and Results: The recall of disturbing dreams was more prevalen t for girls than for boys at both ages, and increased over time for girls w hile it decreased for boys. The recall of normal dreams was also more preva lent for girls at both ages, but this difference could not fully account fo r the difference in recall of disturbing dreams. Normal dream recall increa sed from age 13 to 16 for both sexes. The frequent occurrence of disturbing dreams was associated with anxiety at age 13 and with GAD, SA and OD sympt oms at age 16 for both sexes. Evidence of more numerous OD symptoms for gir ls with frequent disturbing dreams suggests that this form of anxiety may p artially account for the observed sex difference in disturbing dream preval ence. Conclusions: The findings highlight a prevalence of disturbing dreams that is especially marked for adolescent girls. Unlike previous cross-sectional studies, which have found the same sex difference, this longitudinal design also calls attention to within-subjects changes in disturbing dream recall . The results also confirm that the frequent recall of disturbing dreams is associated with pathological symptoms of trait anxiety-apparently even as young as 13 years of age. Further study of disturbing dreams may contribute to understanding of associated pathophysiological factors which, too, vary by sex (e.g., PTSD, insomnia, depression).