Ego Strength, Object Relations, and Self-Fragmentation as Predictors of Idiopathic and Posttraumatic Nightmares and Nightmare Distress
Author(s): Don Daughtry, Amanda Fay Yuraitis, William E. Kelly
Abstract: Personality structure variables that may underlie vulnerability to nightmares remain understudied. This study investigated relationships to nightmares of three constructs from contemporary psychoanalytic theory. A university student sample (N = 214) completed measures of idiopathic nightmares, posttraumatic nightmares, nightmare distress, ego strength, object relations, self-fragmentation, and psychological distress. Regressions revealed differential predictors. Less ego strength uniquely predicted higher frequency of idiopathic nightmares, psychological distress predicted posttraumatic nightmares, and poorer object relations together with higher self-fragmentation predicted greater nightmare distress. The results suggest nightmares may reflect specific structural features of personality organization in addition to psychological distress. Findings highlight the value of integrating psychodynamic constructs into models of nightmare etiology and conceptualizing nightmares as indicators of self-regulatory and relational vulnerabilities.
Keywords: Nightmares; Nightmare distress; Ego strength; Self-fragmentation; Object relations; Affect regulation; Psychoanalytic personality theory
Published: October 17, 2025
Article: e23002
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