Nighttime fears of children and adolescents: frequency, content, severity, harm expectations, disclosure, and coping behaviours.
The present school-based study investigated the nighttime fears of 511 children and adolescents, aged 8-16 years. Participants were assessed using a structured interview about the frequency, content, severity, harm expectations, coping strategies, and disclosure of nighttime fears. Results indicated that nighttime fears are a common experience, with nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of children and adolescents reporting nighttime fears. Fear of intruders/home invasion was the most frequently reported nighttime fear. Females more frequently reported nighttime fears than males (72.9% and 54.6%, respectively) and a greater number of children reported nighttime fears compared to adolescents (79.4% and 48.8%, respectively). Nighttime fears were given moderate severity ratings, and harm expectations were most strongly associated with 'personal security' fears. Respondents reported a variety of coping strategies to manage their nighttime fears with self-control/distraction techniques being the most common. Most respondents reported disclosing their nighttime fear(s) to another person. The clinical implications of these findings and the methodological limitations are discussed.
Gordon
Jocelynne
J
Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. Jocelynne.Gordon@Education.monash.edu.au
King
Neville
N
Gullone
Eleonora
E
Muris
Peter
P
Ollendick
Thomas H
TH
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D030881:Disclosure; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D020184:Night Terrors / Q000523:psychology*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012737:Sex Factors