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Nightmares in psychiatry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

J. Beullens
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Summary

Nightmares are frightening dreams awakening the dreamer. In psychiatry they are often considered as an indication of psychopathology or even as a feature of schizophrenia. Assumptions are made that nightmares occur more often in psychiatric patients than in the normal population and that they are accompanied by an elevated anxiety level in the daytime. From a psychophysiological point of view nightmares possibly are derailed attemps of problem solving, of overcoming frightening experiences. In this review the importance of nightmares as symptom in psychiatry is assessed. It appears that they are no indication of an elevated anxiety level in the day-time or of psychopathology in general, and they are no criterium for the diagnosis of schizophrenia either.

Keywords

nightmarespsychopathologypsychiatrynachtmerriespsychopathologiepsychiatrie
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 1996 , pp. 12 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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