What does nightmare distress mean? Factorial structure and psychometric properties of the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ).

Abstract

Nightmares are extremely dysphoric dreams. But nightmare distress, and not the mere frequency of nightmares, is associated with well-being and psychopathology. Nightmare distress has been conceptualized in different ways: (a) nightmare intensity, (b) nightmare effects, (c) nightmare related symptoms, and (d) the perception of nightmare distress. The Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ) is the most often used questionnaire to capture nightmare distress. However, there is insufficient information about its psychometric properties and it remains unclear what exactly it measures. In order to investigate the psychometric quality and factorial structure of this questionnaire, 213 men and women suffering from recurrent nightmares filled in the German version of the NDQ, as well as depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, PSQI) measures. The reliability of the NDQ was good (␣ ϭ .80). We identified 3 subscales, which explained 52% of the total variance: (a) general nightmare distress, (b) impact on sleep, and (c) impact on daytime reality perception. We found moderate correlations between nightmare distress scores, nightmare frequency, depression, and sleep quality. The psychometric properties of the NDQ are good. The questionnaire captures the general perception whether nightmares are evaluated as distressing, as well as nightmare related symptoms.

Assessing psychological adjustment and cultural reintegration after military service: development and psychometric evaluation of the post-separation Military-Civilian Adjustment and Reintegration Measure (M-CARM)

“…The NDQ [ 40 ] is a 13-item self-report questionnaire which yields a total score that evaluates the emotional disturbance attributed to nightmares as well as nightmare-related symptoms. The questionnaire has demonstrated good psychometric properties in previous research [ 41 ].…”

The Effects of an Internet-Based Imagery Rehearsal Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Nightmare distress was measured using the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ [37], German version [38]). The NDQ measures self-perceived distress induced by nightmares, the detrimental impact on sleep quality, and the influence of nightmares on reality perception [38]; in the current sample Cronbach's alpha was 0.80.…”

Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives

“…To address the distress that is associated with nightmares, some authors use a single question asking whether participants have a problem with nightmares (Wood & Bootzin, 1990). Alternatively, psychometrically constructed instruments such as the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ, Belicki, 1992) assess general concerns about nightmares, including their impact on sleep quality or on daytime beliefs and perceptions (Böckermann, Gieselmann, & Pietrowsky, 2014). A subscale of the SLEEP-50 assesses nightmare distress with reference to DSM-IV criteria (Lancee, Spoormaker, & Van Den Bout, 2010a).…”