Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Dissociative Symptoms in Patients with Parasomnia

Abstract

Objective: Parasomnias are sleep disorders that are characterised by abnormal or unwanted movements, behaviours, emotions, perceptions, dreams and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the presence of childhood traumatic experiences and dissociative symptoms in patients with parasomnia. Materials and Methods: This study included 38 patients with parasomnias and 40 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), who were diagnosed according to International sleep disorders classification 3 in the sleep outpatient clinics of Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate Istanbul 2nd Division Public Hospitals Association Sleep Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment Centers, between March 2018 and July 2018. All participants were evaluated with the childhood trauma scale, dissociative experience scale (DES), Beck depression scale and Beck anxiety scale. Mediator analyses were applied to process data. Results: A significant difference was found between the parasomnia and OSAS groups in terms of the cut-off scores of the childhood trauma questionnaire (childhood trauma questionnaire; p=0.004) and depressive symptoms (p=0.005). No significant differences were found in terms of DES scores (p=0.456) and anxiety symptoms (p=0.934). A significant difference was noted in the scores of the sexual abuse (p=0.038) and emotional abuse (p=0.001) subscales of childhood trauma questionnaire. No significant difference was found in other subscales. Conclusion: The finding that childhood trauma is higher in patients in the parasomnia group than in those in the control group emphasises the importance of cooperation with psychiatrists in order to diagnose and treat these patients.