Relationship between dream contents and positive/negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between dreams and schizophrenia has been a subject of discussion for many years ago. Little is known about details of dream contents in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dream contents and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

METHODS: Fifty schizophrenic patients in Beheshti Hospital, Kerman, Iran, over a 6-month period from July to December 2002, were evaluated for dream contents using free recall of dreams and a checklist which was provided in a previous pilot study. Positive and negative symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Data were analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 9 software.

RESULTS: Forty-five (90%) patients reported at least one recurrent dream in the previous 6 months prior to psychiatric hospital admission. The most frequent dream was a familiar person (82%). Dreams which contained homosexuality and dreams in color were related only to a negative scale (f=4.1, p<0.05, f=4.6, p<0.05) and dreams which contained wild animals were related to a positive scale (f=4.4, p<0.05). Some other dream contents were related to both positive and negative symptoms and some were related to no scores of PANSS.

CONCLUSION: Positive and negative scales as 2 separate dimensions may have specific related symptoms. Each dimension of schizophrenia (positive/negative) could have their own specific dream contents. Future studies may clarify many other aspects of dream contents in schizophrenia.