A new study published March 15 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine is the first to report that the relationship between nightmares and suicidal behaviors is partially mediated by a multi-step pathway via defeat, entrapment and hopelessness. Results suggest that nightmares may act as a stressor in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by triggering specific types of negative cognitive thoughts, which reinforce suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Read the study in JCSM – Nightmares and Suicide in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Mediating Role of Defeat, Entrapment, and Hopelessness

Read the commentary in JCSM: Explaining the Relation between Nightmares and Suicide

Read the press release: Study reports significant link between nightmares and suicidal behavior