Relationship between trait anxiety and emotions in dreams, evaluated in older adults.

This study examines the relationship between trait anxiety levels, emotions in dreams, dream recall frequency (DRF), and potential gender differences within older adults. A total of 22 participants (nine men and 13 women) were recruited from the seniors group at Complutense University of Madrid (Mage = 64.9 years). Each participant initially completed the trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) questionnaire and also maintained a dream diary for 2 weeks, providing assessments of the valence, arousal, and intensity of each of the basic emotions experienced in dreams. Results showed a modest correlation between the average STAI-T and sadness in dreams and a significant correlation between the level of fear and that of emotional arousal, but only in the women group. No additional gender distinctions were identified. Furthermore, it was observed that recalled dreams tended to exhibit a neutral valence and moderate arousal and there was a reduced level of anxiety and a lower DRF in comparison to the results obtained in studies involving young adults. The findings suggest that DRF in older adults is not correlated with anxiety levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
Source: Dreaming - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research