The unidirectional relationship of nightmares on self-harmful thoughts and behaviors

Understanding the direction of the predictive relationship between nightmares and suicidal behaviors is important to model its underlying mechanisms. We examine the direction of this relationship and the mediating role of negative affect. A fixed interval diary study obtained pre-sleep and post-sleep measures of affect, nightmares, and self-harmful thoughts and behaviors (SHTBs) from 72 university students (88.9% female). The results show predictive utility of nightmares on SHTBs - indicating a fourfold increased risk of SHTBs. Additionally, results support the suggestion of a unidirectional predictive influence (of nightmares on likelihood of SHTBs but not vice versa). Moreover, postsleep negative affect partially mediated the relationship between nightmares and postsleep SHTBs. This empirically validates assumptions of directionality for future models

Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Psychoanalysis · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Psychology · Sleep and related disorders · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance · Social Psychology

• When Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Predicts Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Poor Sleep—Results from a Larger Cross-Sectional and Quasi-Longitudinal Study

  Open Access•Habibolah Khazaie, Sepideh Khazaie et al.•International Journal of…•2021

  Añadir item

• Self-Criticism as a Moderator of the Link between Daily Sleep and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

  Open Access•Sarah Kuburi, Zhigang Wu et al.•Journal of Youth and Adolescence•2025

  Añadir item

• When was your earliest dream? Association of very early dream recall with frequent current nightmares supports a stress-acceleration explanation of nightmares

  Torben Nielsen•Dreaming•2017

  Añadir item

• The behavioral effects of frequent nightmares on objective stress tolerance

  Kevin D Hochard, Nadja Heym et al.•Dreaming•2016

  Añadir item

• A meta-analysis on the affect regulation function of real-time self-injurious thoughts and behaviours

  Open Access•Kevin S Kuehn, Jonas Dora et al.•Nature Human Behaviour•2022

  Añadir item

• Longitudinal data analysis using generalized linear models

  Kung-Yee Liang, Kung‐Yee Liang et al.•Biometrika•1986

  Añadir item

• The Pittsburgh sleep quality index

  Open Access•Daniel J Buysse, Charles F Reynolds et al.•Psychiatry Research•1989

  Añadir item

• Nightmare frequency as a function of age, gender, and September 11, 2001

  Torben Nielsen, Tore A Nielsen et al.•Dreaming•2006

  Añadir item

• The impact of insomnia and sleep disturbances on depression and suicidality

  Kelly C Cukrowicz, Ainhoa Otamendi et al.•Dreaming•2006

  Añadir item