Maladaptive daydreaming: Evidence for an under-researched mental health disorder |
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| Affiliation: | 1. New York, USA;2. Fordham University, New York, NY, USA;3. University of Lausanne, and National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES “Overcoming Vulnerability: Live Course Perspectives”, Switzerland;4. School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel;1. Aarhus University, Denmark;2. Duke University, United States;1. The Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;2. Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel;1. Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK;2. Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK;3. School of Psychology, University of East London, Stratford, UK;4. Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France;1. The Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;2. Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;3. Israel Defense Force Medical Corps, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel;1. Consciousness and Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;2. The Stress, Self & Health (STREALTH) Lab, Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel;3. Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK;4. The Program for Hermeneutics and Cultural Studies (Psychoanalysis and Hermeneutics track), Interdisciplinary Studies Unit, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel |
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| Abstract: | This study explores the recently described phenomenon of Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) and attempts to enhance the understanding of its features. It documents the experiences of 340 self-identified maladaptive daydreamers who spend excessive amounts of time engaged in mental fantasy worlds, in comparison to 107 controls. Our sample included a total of 447 individuals, aged 13–78, from 45 countries who responded to online announcements. Participants answered quantitative and qualitative questions about their daydreaming habits and completed seven questionnaires assessing mental health symptoms. Findings demonstrated that MD differs significantly from normative daydreaming in terms of quantity, content, experience, controllability, distress, and interference with life functioning. Results also demonstrated that Maladaptive Daydreamers endorsed significantly higher rates of attention deficit, obsessive compulsive and dissociation symptoms than controls. In sum, findings suggested that MD represents an under-acknowledged clinical phenomenon that causes distress, hinders life functioning and requires more scientific and clinical attention. |
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| Keywords: | Maladaptive daydreaming Compulsive fantasy Absorption Visual cognition Stereotypic movement Kinesthetic activity Fantasy prone person |
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