The Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire: Measurement of Sustaining Functions of Fantasies in Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract

The concept of the sustaining fantasy and the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire (SFQ), an instrument for its measurement, is introduced. Sustaining fantasies represent characteristic ways to ameliorate intense negative affect or to restore self-esteem. The responses of 134 psychiatric inpatients were used to construct ten scales. The SFQ and MMPI were then administered to 125 nonpatients. Psychiatric inpatients had higher scores than normals on fantasies of death, withdrawal, restitution, suffering, God, and closeness. Fantasies of power and revenge, admiration of self, competition and aesthetics did not differentiate between groups. SFQ scales correlated significantly with MMPI scales and demographic characteristics as well with staff ratings of the inpatients.

Narcissism and the use of fantasy

“…They are the repetitive fantasies, easily retrieved into consciousness, that an individual uses to create a situation that is either more ideal or counter to the situation that is causing the stress. These fantasies are viewed as necessary for adaptive coping because they enable the individual to restore self-esteem and emotional equilibrium in the face of stress (Harder & Zelin, 1984;Zelin et al, 1983). An example of a sustaining fantasy is the adolescent, rejected for a date by a girl, who finds himself imagining striking out the side in an important baseball game (Zelin et al, 1983).…”

School Shootings in Deutschland

“…Im Erwachsenenalter konnten zudem Zusammenhänge zwischen speziellen Fantasieinhalten und psychischen Störungen belegt werden (Greenwald, 1991;Greenwald & Harder, 1995;Harder et al, 1984;Zelin et al, 1983). Die Autoren stellen zudem eine hohe Korrelation zwischen den Skalen "Tod & Krankheit" sowie "Rückzug & Schutz" des "Sustaining Fantasies…”

The Thin Line Between Reality and Imagination: Attachment Orientations and the Effects of Relationship Threats on Sexual Fantasies

“…Sustaining fantasies may create an alternative "reality" (e.g., experiencing one's own attractiveness, being in a powerful position, having someone whom one can be very close to) that may counter the original stress-provoking event, reduce related distress, and restore self-esteem (e.g., Zelin et al, 1983). These fantasies are typically consistent with both self-reported daydreams (i.e., fantasies experienced during less stressful circumstances) and behavioral coping style.…”