title: A preliminary study of the personality of the nightmare sufferer: relationship to schizophrenia and creativity?
abstract: Through psychiatric interviews and psychological tests the authors studied 38 adults who reported experiencing at least one nightmare per week. Nearly all of the subjects had a lifelong history of frequent nightmares. Four of the subjects met DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia, 9 met the criteria for borderline personality, and 6 met the criteria for schizotypal personality. The others had no specific diagnosis, and none of the subjects had a diagnosis of typical neurosis. Many had mentally ill relatives. Most had artistic interests and talents. These nightmare sufferers may be seen as unusually vulnerable, with a potential for mental illness--especially schizophrenia--as well as a potential for artistic achievement.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003405:Creativity; D004325:Dreams; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000523:psychology