Schultz Jon-Håkon, Forsberg June Thorvaldsen, Harb Gerlinde, Alisic Eva
Department of Education, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Nat Sci Sleep. 2021 Mar 19;13:423-433. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S282967. eCollection 2021.
Recurrent nightmares, frequently associated with traumatic experiences, may impair quality of life and daily functioning. However, there have been few studies of posttraumatic nightmares occurring among children and youth, in particular for trauma-exposed populations in conflict zones.
Using two quantitative data sets, this study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of recurrent nightmares among conflict-exposed young people in the Gaza Strip (N = 300) and examines the characteristics of posttraumatic nightmares and their association with academic functioning among treatment-seeking students in Gaza (N = 1093).
Among 300 students (10-12 years old) who lived in the ongoing conflict area in Gaza, nightmares were often mentioned, with 56% reporting recurrent nightmares with an average weekly frequency of 4.20 nights in the past week (SD = 1.94) and a mean duration of 2.48 years (SD = 2.01). Similarly, the large sample of 1093 students (6-17 years of age) who sought help for nightmares and sleep disturbance reported recurrent traumatic nightmares on average 4.57 nights per week, with an average duration of 2.82 years. Their self-reported academic functioning was negatively affected by whether they experienced nightmares but was not associated with nightmare frequency or intensity.
Given the high prevalence of nightmares and the relation between nightmares and academic functioning, students in conflict-affected areas appear to be a particularly vulnerable group. This study proposes screening and treating conflict-affected students for recurrent posttraumatic nightmares.
反复出现的噩梦通常与创伤经历相关，可能会损害生活质量和日常功能。然而，针对儿童和青少年中创伤后噩梦的研究较少，尤其是冲突地区遭受创伤的人群。
本研究使用两个定量数据集，调查了加沙地带受冲突影响的年轻人（N = 300）中反复出现噩梦的患病率和特征，并研究了加沙寻求治疗的学生（N = 1093）中创伤后噩梦的特征及其与学业功能的关联。
在加沙持续冲突地区生活的300名学生（10 - 12岁）中，经常提到噩梦，56%的人报告反复出现噩梦，过去一周平均每周出现4.20晚（标准差 = 1.94），平均持续时间为2.48年（标准差 = 2.01）。同样，在因噩梦和睡眠障碍寻求帮助的1093名学生（6 - 17岁）的大样本中，报告反复出现创伤后噩梦，平均每周4.57晚，平均持续时间为2.82年。他们自我报告的学业功能受到是否经历噩梦的负面影响，但与噩梦频率或强度无关。
鉴于噩梦的高患病率以及噩梦与学业功能之间的关系，受冲突影响地区的学生似乎是一个特别脆弱的群体。本研究建议对受冲突影响的学生进行反复创伤后噩梦的筛查和治疗。
