login

Nightmares and anxiety in elementary‐aged children: is there a relationship?

Child Care Health and DevelopmentPublished 1 July 2002
Jodi A. Mindell, Kirston Barrett
Citations89
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score0.94
SNIP1.17

TL;DR

Findings suggest that anxiety issues should be considered in children who are experiencing nightmares, and a relationship between nightmare distress and trait anxiety is indicated.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a relationship exists between children's anxiety level and nightmare occurrence. METHOD: A total of 60 kindergarten, second and fourth grade school children and their parents completed questionnaires assessing nightmare occurrence and anxiety. RESULTS: According to parental report, children who experience nightmares have significantly higher levels of anxiety than children who do not experience nightmares. The results also indicate a relationship between nightmare distress and trait anxiety. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that anxiety issues should be considered in children who are experiencing nightmares.

Keywords

PsychologyNeuroscience