NYMC Faculty Publications

Manifest Dream Content as a Possible Predictor of Suicidality

Author Type(s)

Faculty

DOI

10.1521/pdps.2014.42.4.657

Journal Title

Psychodynamic Psychiatry

First Page

657

Last Page

670

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2014

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Aged, Dreams, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Disorders, Middle Aged, Suicide

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

The prediction of suicidal intent remains a clinical problem. This presentation illustrates that a distinction may be made between the manifest dream reports of patients who are potentially or acutely suicidal and those who are not. A review of the literature reveals that the manifest dream reports of clinically depressed, non-suicidal individuals differ from those who are depressed and acutely suicidal. The former contain themes of loss, disappointment, rejection, helplessness, hopelessness, failure, and death. The latter contain themes of dying, death, destruction, and violence directed toward the dreamer or others, as well as hopelessness and helplessness. The author collected manifest dream reports from three clinically depressed, non-suicidal patients and three clinically depressed, potentially or acutely suicidal patients. There are apparent differences between the themes of manifest dream reports in the clinically depressed, non-suicidal patients and the clinically depressed, potentially or acutely suicidal patients. The former contain themes of death, loss, rejection, vulnerability, hopelessness, and helplessness. The latter contain themes of active harm or violence (specifically toward the dreamer), dying or being dead, aloneness, vulnerability, hopelessness, and helplessness. Clinical cases and corresponding manifest dream reports are presented. Although this is a preliminary study, it is possible that manifest dream content may be used as one of the predictors of suicidality, in conjunction with latent dream content, diagnosis, life circumstance, and clinical status.

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