Maladaptive Daydreaming in an Adult Italian Population During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Frontiers in Psychology

Luca Pingani¹  Giuseppe Plazzi²  Maria Catena Quattropani³  Elena Vegni⁴  Lidia Borghi⁴  Alessandro Musetti⁵  Paola Corsano⁵  Maria Francesca Freda⁶  Daniela Lemmo⁶  Giorgia Margherita⁶  Christian Franceschini⁷  Emanuela Saita⁸  Gianluca Castelnuovo⁹  Roberto Cattivelli⁹  Vittorio Lenzo^1,10  Adriano Schimmenti^1,11  Eli Somer^1,12  Corrado Zenesini^1,13 

[1] Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy;Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy;IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna (ISNB), Bologna, Italy;Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy;Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy;Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy;Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy;Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy;Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy;Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy;Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, Milan, Italy;Dipartimento di Scienze della Società e della Formazione d'Area Mediterranea, Università per Stranieri Dante Alighieri, Reggio Calabria, Italy;Faculty of Human and Society Sciences, Kore University of Enna, Enna, Italy;Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel;IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna (ISNB), Bologna, Italy;

关键词: maladaptive daydreaming;    depression;    anxiety;    stress;    COVID-19;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631979

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

During the COVID-19 outbreak, individuals with or without mental disorders may resort to dysfunctional psychological strategies that could trigger or heighten their emotional distress. The current study aims to explore the links between maladaptive daydreaming (MD, i.e., a compulsive fantasy activity associated with distress and psychological impairment), psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and negative stress, and COVID-19-related variables, such as changes in face-to-face and online relationships, during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. A total of 6,277 Italian adults completed an online survey, including socio-demographic variables, COVID-19 related information, the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 Items (DASS-21). Based on an empirically derived cut-off score, 1,082 participants (17.2%) were identified as probable maladaptive daydreamers (MDers). A binary logistic regression revealed that compared to controls, probable MDers reported that during the COVID-19 lockdown they experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression, decreased online social relationships, and, surprisingly, stable or increased face-to-face social relationships. Given the peculiar characteristics of the pandemic context, these findings suggest that the exposure to the risk of contagion had probably exacerbated the tendency of probable MDers to lock themselves inside their mental fantasy worlds, which in turn may have contributed to further estrangement from online social relationships and support, thus worsening their emotional distress.

【 授权许可】

CC BY