Seeking help for nightmares: Associated personality factors

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Nightmares are often undertreated, with sufferers frequently not seeking professional help.
• Previous research suggests that even when help is sought, it may not be effective, contributing to treatment gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between personality traits (e.g., harm avoidance, introversion) and individuals' consideration of seeking professional help for nightmares.
• To identify factors influencing help-seeking behavior in nightmare sufferers.

Main Methods:

• A population-based survey was conducted with 1108 participants (712 women, 396 men; mean age 50.55 years).
• Trait factors including personality, harm avoidance, education, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were assessed in relation to considering professional help for nightmares.

Main Results:

• Only a subset of individuals experiencing nightmares considered professional help.
• High harm avoidance and introversion were associated with a lower likelihood of seeking help, even after controlling for nightmare frequency.
• Low education, low agreeableness, and low conscientiousness were also linked to not considering professional help, potentially indicating fear of stigmatization.
• The association between harm avoidance and not seeking help was more pronounced in frequent nightmare sufferers.

Conclusions:

• Personality traits significantly influence whether individuals with nightmares seek professional help.
• Fear of stigmatization may deter some nightmare sufferers from seeking treatment.
• There is a need for improved strategies to offer adequate nightmare treatment and enhance healthcare professionals' knowledge in this area.