Preliminary Evidence for The Proposed Relationship Between Frequent Nightmares and Schizotypal Symptomatology

Abstract

The relationship between several measures of schizotypic signs and the reported frequency of nightmares was evaluated in a college student population. A significant positive relationship to nightmare frequency was found for three of the four schizotypy measures (perceptual aberration, intense ambivalence, and somatic symptoms). The observed relationships appeared to be stronger for women than for men. There was a negative relationship between physical anhedonia and nightmare frequency. The results are discussed within the context of object relations theory utilizing an ego boundary model and are consistent with previous research independently implicating boundary impairment in the etiology of both phenomena.