TY - JOUR
T1 - Maladaptive Daydreaming in an Adult Italian Population During the COVID-19 Lockdown
AU - Musetti, Alessandro
AU - Franceschini, Christian
AU - Pingani, Luca
AU - Freda, Maria Francesca
AU - Saita, Emanuela
AU - Vegni, Elena
AU - Zenesini, Corrado
AU - Quattropani, Maria Catena
AU - Lenzo, Vittorio
AU - Margherita, Giorgia
AU - Lemmo, Daniela
AU - Corsano, Paola
AU - Borghi, Lidia
AU - Cattivelli, Roberto
AU - Plazzi, Giuseppe
AU - Castelnuovo, Gianluca
AU - Somer, Eli
AU - Schimmenti, Adriano
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Musetti, Franceschini, Pingani, Freda, Saita, Vegni, Zenesini, Quattropani, Lenzo, Margherita, Lemmo, Corsano, Borghi, Cattivelli, Plazzi, Castelnuovo, Somer and Schimmenti.
PY - 2021/3/24
Y1 - 2021/3/24
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - COVID-19
KW - anxiety
KW - depression
KW - maladaptive daydreaming
KW - stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103822605&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631979
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631979
M3 - Article
C2 - 33841264
AN - SCOPUS:85103822605
SN - 1664-1078
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
M1 - 631979
ER -