P02-194 - The Sang Bok Lee Neurocognitive Dream Orientations Scales for screening traumatic and PTSD-related dreams

Abstract

AimThe objective of this study was to differentiate ordinary dreams from traumatic and PTSD-related dreams, by using The Sang Bok Lee Neurocognitive Dream Orientation Scales assessing the narrative dream contents.Methods1248 dreams were collected from 416 Korean college students, Yongin, South Korea - 198 males (M age=20.46 years, SD=1.32) and 218 females (M age=20.17, SD=1.26). The collected dreams were evaluated to find traumatic and PTSD-related dreams by using The Sang Bok Lee Neurocognitive Dream Orientation Scales, designed by Sang Bok Lee. These scales particularly asked about the dreamers a series of cognitive orientations that cover location, person, event, the dreamer's perception and coping action in the dream narratives. The PTSD-related dreams were hypothesized as having (1) frequently recurrent, (2) unfamiliar, (3) unexpected and accidental, (4) emotionally dreadful or fearful, and (5) not actively coped by the dreamer.Results392 dreams (31%) of 1248 collected dreams were found as traumatic or very/extremely anxious dreams according to The Lee Anxiety Dream Scales (Mean=4.56). 36 dreams (0.9%) of 392 traumatic dreams were frequently recurrent and evaluated as PTSD-related. Strong positive correlation was found between 392 traumatic dreams and independent variables (unfamiliar: r=.85, p=0.0001; accidental: r=.82, p=0.0001; dreadful or fearful: r=.95, p=0.0001; not coped by the dreamer: r=.87, p=0.0001).ConclusionIn this study, the traumatic and PTSD-related dreams were associated with unfamiliar, accidental, emotionally dreadful or fearful, not coped by the dreamer, and recurrent events.