There May Be A Link Between Nightmares And Suicidal Tendencies: Study

If you have had a nightmare, be careful. It might make you feel hopeless enough to risk committing suicide, says a new study.

Experts from The University of Manchester have found some mechanism in the link. It could be a multi-step pathway that includes the emotional baggage of defeatism, entrapment and hopelessness, says author Donna L. Littlewood, a researcher in medical and human sciences at the university.

About 91 victims of trauma, of which 51 underwent post-traumatic stress disorder were part of the study. They filled out survey lists that assessed the number of nightmares they had.

"For the first time, we show that the relationship between nightmares and suicidal behaviors is partially mediated by a multistep pathway via defeat, entrapment, and hopelessness. Clinically, our work highlights the importance of monitoring and targeting nightmares and perceptions of defeat, entrapment, and hopelessness when working with clients who have experienced trauma," researchers explained.

About 62 percent of those who were studied experienced nightmares and 20 percent of those who did not suffer suicidal tendencies.

"Suicidal behaviors were higher in those participants who experienced nightmares, in comparison to those who did not. Bootstrapped analyzes provided support for the hypothesized multistep mediational model. Specifically, nightmares were both directly and indirectly associated with suicidal behaviors, through perceptions of defeat, entrapment, and hopelessness, independent of comorbid insomnia and depression," researchers wrote in the study. 

The experts added that PTSD enhances the risk of suicidal behavior. "...our study shows that nightmares, a hallmark symptom of PTSD, may be an important treatment target to reduce suicide risk," Littlewood said in a university release. "This study emphasizes the importance of specifically assessing and targeting nightmares within those individuals experiencing PTSD. In addition, monitoring and targeting levels of negative cognitive appraisals such as defeat, entrapment, and hopelessness, may reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors."

The latest findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.