Renzi Alessia, Bytyqi Bleona, Mariani Rachele
Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2025 Aug 30. doi: 10.1007/s00406-025-02083-z.
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a recently defined clinical condition characterized by an excessively immersive utilization of fantasy and imagination which can significantly impact both professional and social life. International literature has linked MD to obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but its association with alexithymia remains largely unexplored, and its connection to eating disorder symptoms is even more neglected. As a marker of affect regulation difficulties, alexithymia may heighten the risk and severity of MD, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Therefore, the general aim of the present study is to contribute to the study of MD in the general population, by examining potential associations between MD levels, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and affect regulation capabilities. Additionally, the study aims to examine whether alexithymia mediates the relationship between eating and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, respectively, and MD levels. 562 participants (mean age = 27.16 years; SD = 10.21; 68% females) completed an online survey comprising: a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS), the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), and the Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44). MDS score was positively related to TAS-20 total, difficulties in identifying and describing feelings as well as with eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Age showed a weak negative association with MDS. Regarding the mediation models, alexithymia significantly amplified the impact of eating/obsessive-compulsive symptoms on MD. The associations emerging by present study seem to support a common functioning of these clinical conditions based on maladaptive/compulsive behaviours/thought/fantasy, as strategy to regulate painful emotions. Further studies comparing these clinical populations are still needed.
适应不良性白日梦（MD）是一种最近定义的临床病症，其特征是过度沉浸于幻想和想象中，这会对职业和社会生活产生重大影响。国际文献已将MD与强迫症状联系起来，但其与述情障碍的关联在很大程度上仍未得到探索，而其与饮食失调症状的联系更是被忽视。作为情感调节困难的一个标志，述情障碍可能会增加MD、饮食失调和强迫症状的风险及严重程度。因此，本研究的总体目标是通过研究MD水平、饮食失调、强迫症状和情感调节能力之间的潜在关联，为普通人群中MD的研究做出贡献。此外，该研究旨在检验述情障碍是否分别介导饮食和强迫症状与MD水平之间的关系。562名参与者（平均年龄 = 27.16岁；标准差 = 10.21；68%为女性）完成了一项在线调查，该调查包括：一份社会人口学问卷、适应不良性白日梦量表（MDS）、20项多伦多述情障碍量表（TAS - 20）、饮食态度测试（EAT - 26）和强迫信念问卷（OBQ - 44）。MDS得分与TAS - 20总分、识别和描述情感的困难以及饮食失调和强迫症状呈正相关。年龄与MDS呈微弱的负相关。关于中介模型，述情障碍显著放大了饮食/强迫症状对MD的影响。本研究中出现的关联似乎支持了基于适应不良/强迫行为/思维/幻想的这些临床病症的共同作用，作为调节痛苦情绪的策略。仍需要进一步研究来比较这些临床人群。
