Dream Experiences During Intensive Care Unit Stay: Occurrence, Content, Vividness and Associated Factors

Area of Science:

• Critical care medicine
• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Vivid dream experiences are frequently reported by patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).
• The occurrence, characteristics, and impact of these dreams remain poorly understood in the critical care setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence, vividness, content, and emotional impact of dream experiences in ICU patients.
• To identify factors associated with vivid dreams in the ICU population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective mixed-methods study was conducted with adult patients (≥18 years) admitted to the ICU for at least 4 days or due to COVID-19.
• Participants, who were not sedated for ≥24 hours, completed a retrospective questionnaire via telephone, with clinical data extracted from electronic health records.

Main Results:

• 79% of participants reported dream experiences, with 73% describing them as "life-like" and 49% associating them with negative emotions.
• Dreams were often related to the ICU admission, with younger age and longer ICU stay linked to vividness. 62.5% of those with dreams had experienced delirium.
• A significant overlap was observed between reported perceptual disturbances and confirmed delirium (70%), with many patients unable to distinguish between the two.

Conclusions:

• Vivid dreams are a common and emotionally impactful phenomenon in ICU patients.
• Further research is needed to differentiate dreams, delirium, and perceptual disturbances and to develop strategies for mitigating their negative effects.
• Healthcare providers, particularly ICU nurses, should be aware of this psychological burden and offer anticipatory support to aid patient recovery.