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Jul 239 min read

Daydreams Decoded: Reporting New Developments in Maladaptive Daydreaming Research

Dear Readers,


We're excited to bring you another issue of the International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research newsletter. We are thrilled to report eight additional peer-reviewed research papers on MD. In this edition, we summarise these latest peer-reviewed studies, preprints, and student projects that are expanding our knowledge of maladaptive daydreaming (MD). From neurophysiology to skin conditions, and from childhood motor stereotypies to students under stress, the range of topics connected to MD continues to grow.



Published research articles


Layperson’s abstract:

Researchers explored the connection between MD and various problematic online behaviors. They surveyed 1,209 people aged 18 to 73 about their daydreaming habits and online activities. The study examined several issues, including excessive online gambling, gaming, porn use, social media use, shopping, and health information searching (cyberchondria). Results showed that each of these problem behaviors was distinct. Importantly, people who daydream excessively are more likely to overuse social media and obsessively search for health information online. Weaker links were found between excessive daydreaming and overuse of online gaming, porn, and shopping. These findings could help improve diagnosis and treatment for those struggling with excessive daydreaming or problematic online behaviors.

 



Layperson’s abstract:

This theoretical review considers how maladaptive daydreaming (MD) relates to attention problems and the mental state known as dissociation. MD occurs when someone gets lost in vivid, detailed daydreams to the extent that it disrupts their daily life. This extreme daydreaming can sometimes happen along with dissociation, where people feel disconnected from their surroundings or themselves. Scientists have found that certain brain activities might predict when someone is about to experience a brief moment of dissociation. By learning more about how the brain behaves during maladaptive daydreaming and dissociation, researchers might be able to find new ways to help people who struggle with these problems. This article reviews the brain science behind dissociation, which could lead to better understanding and treatment.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

This article examines how binge-watching TV shows or movies might be linked to suicide risk in young adults (ages 18-25). The researchers wanted to understand whether being sleepy during the day and/or experiencing maladaptive daydreaming (MD) played a role in this connection. Binge-watching is common among young adults who are good with technology. But it can become a problem, affecting sleep, dreams, and possibly increasing suicide risk. The researchers asked 1,012 young adults (half women, half men) to fill out surveys about their binge-watching habits, daytime sleepiness, daydreaming, and thoughts about suicide. They found that more binge-watching was linked to a higher risk of suicide for both men and women, and that being sleepy during the day and experiencing MD made this link stronger. The results were similar for both men and women. Young adults are already at higher risk for suicide. This study shows that binge-watching, along with daytime sleepiness and MD, might increase this risk even more. We need to help young people develop healthier media habits. When assessing suicide risk in young adults, it’s important to consider their binge-watching habits and any sleep or daydreaming problems they might have.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

When researchers study people’s self-generated thoughts (thoughts that come from within rather than from external sources) the terms “mind-wandering” and “daydreaming” are often used interchangeably. But are they really the same thing? In this online study, researchers showed participants different scenarios in which a person was having self-generated thoughts. The scenarios varied in the situation the person was in, what activity they were doing, and the nature of their self-generated thoughts. One group of participants rated how much the person in each scenario was mind-wandering. The other group rated how much the person was daydreaming. The researchers found that the same scenarios were perceived differently in terms of mind-wandering and daydreaming, depending on whether the person was busy with another task and what kind of thoughts they were having. Specifically, when the person was planning, worrying or ruminating (having repetitive negative thoughts), it was seen as mind-wandering if they were supposed to be doing another activity. But if they weren’t engaged in another activity and were recalling past events or fantasizing, it was perceived as daydreaming. The results suggest that mind-wandering and daydreaming, while related, may not be exactly the same thing.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

This case series explores the connection between intense imagery movements (IIM) in childhood and maladaptive daydreaming (MD) reported by adults. Motor stereotypies, which are repetitive movements or behaviors, occur in typically developing children and also in children with neurodevelopmental differences such as autism. A subgroup of these children with complex motor stereotypies report experiencing vivid mental imagery or fantasies, often enhanced by their movements. This phenomenon can persist into adulthood, and in some cases, it may need to be actively managed to prevent significant distress and impairment in daily life. The paper presents six adults who self-reported experiencing MD associated with stereotypies (repetitive movements or behaviors). The paper discusses several hypotheses about the clinical significance and function of IIM and MD. These include the idea that these phenomena may serve as a way to regulate emotions through sensory stimulation, a process for coping with childhood psychological trauma, a manifestation of intrusive thoughts or images related to a subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), or a result of differences in attentional networks seen in neurodevelopmental disorders. This paper highlights important connections between intense imagery movements (IIM) in childhood and maladaptive daydreaming (MD) in adulthood. Many adults who experience MD have a childhood history of stereotypical movements. While immersive daydreaming can provide creativity and emotional regulation, there is evidence that it can cause distress and impairment in daily functioning for some adults, leading to MD diagnoses. Recognizing this phenomenon is important for neurologists and physicians working with patients who exhibit stereotypical movements.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

In this study, researchers adapted and tested the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) for use in Ukraine. The MDS-16 is used to measure maladaptive daydreaming. It has been adapted for use in several languages, but not yet in Ukrainian. Since there’s little research on this topic in Ukraine, creating a valid Ukrainian version of this questionnaire is important. The researchers translated the English MDS-16 into Ukrainian and tested it on 132 people. They then used various statistical methods to check whether the Ukrainian version was reliable and measured what it was supposed to measure. The results showed that the Ukrainian MDS-16 was generally reliable. However, when they looked at how the questions grouped together, they found some differences compared to the original English version. The original questionnaire had four main categories (music, kinesthesia, yearning, impairment), but the Ukrainian version seemed to have only two (involvement, impairment of daily functioning). The researchers decided to use the two-category structure for now, but they acknowledge that testing it on more people might lead them back to the original four-category structure. Overall, this pilot study suggests that the Ukrainian MDS-16 works well enough to use, but more research is needed to refine it further.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

People with psoriasis often have mental-health issues. This article investigates whether they are also more likely to experience maladaptive daydreaming (MD), as measured by the MDS-16. The researchers thought psoriasis patients might score higher on the MDS-16 and have more MD than people without skin conditions. They asked 184 people with psoriasis and 93 people without skin problems to fill out two surveys: the MDS-16 and a questionnaire about how skin issues affect their quality of life. Anyone scoring 50 or higher on the MDS-16 was considered to be experiencing MD. The researchers found that psoriasis patients scored higher on the MDS-16 overall. However, there wasn’t a big difference in the number of individuals with MD between the two groups. Having psoriasis didn’t make someone more likely to have MD. For psoriasis patients, higher daydreaming scores were linked to lower quality of life due to their skin condition. The connection between psoriasis and MD might be related to how much the skin condition affects a person’s quality of life, rather than to just having psoriasis itself.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

This research looks at how stress during the teenage years might lead to maladaptive daydreaming (MD). Being a teenager is tough. There are lots of changes happening, in both the body and mind. Teenagers often feel very stressed because of all the challenges they face. This stress can lead to problems such as anxiety or depression. This study suggests that teenagers who are very stressed might also be more likely to develop MD. It can be hard to spot and treat MD in teenagers because people might not pay enough attention to it and it might be mistaken for a symptom of another problem. It’s important for teenagers to find good ways to deal with stress, for example by learning meditation or going to therapy. Finding healthy ways to manage stress is crucial for teenagers’ well-being.




Preprint



Layperson’s abstract:

Some college students daydream too much, which can hurt their grades and overall well-being. The researchers wanted to understand whether feeling lonely, having low self-esteem and being stressed might lead to this excessive daydreaming. They asked 119 college students (mostly women) to fill out surveys about loneliness, self-esteem, stress and daydreaming habits. They found that students who felt lonelier or had lower self-esteem were more likely to daydream excessively. Furthermore, feeling stressed partly explained why lonely students daydreamed more, and fully explained why those with low self-esteem did so. In conclusion, college students might be using excessive daydreaming as a way to manage loneliness or stress. Helping students manage stress could reduce excessive daydreaming and improve their overall well-being and academic performance.



Theses



Layperson’s abstract

Prior research has suggested that maladaptive daydreaming (MD) might serve as a coping mechanism for individuals with unmet social and emotional needs. However, its relationship with the need for belongingness has been underexplored. This study hypothesized that individuals with MD exhibit lower levels of perceived belonging and a higher need to belong. As a result, they use fantasies and parasocial relationships to replace the social connections they crave but are not obtaining in real life. The study recruited 217 participants from online forums discussing MD and related conditions. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between MD and sense of belonging, suggesting that higher MD levels are associated with lower feelings of social integration and acceptance. MD may function as a compensatory mechanism for unmet needs for belongingness. Therefore, therapeutic interventions aimed at addressing these unmet social needs could be effective in managing MD.

 


Layperson’s abstract:

Previous studies have found that MD often occurs alongside other conditions such as ADHD. It's also related to how easily someone can become completely absorbed in something outside themselves.

This study looked at how MD might be connected to three things:

  1. How deeply people get absorbed in fictional stories

  2. How well people can hold and work with information in their short-term memory

  3. How well people remember details from a story they've read

The researchers thought MD would be:

  • Strongly linked to getting absorbed in stories

  • Linked to having a weaker short-term memory

  • Somehow connected to remembering story details

What they found was a bit different:

  • MD was indeed linked to having weaker short-term memory

  • There was only a weak link between MD and getting absorbed in stories

  • There didn't seem to be any significant connection between MD and remembering story details.




Student paper



Podcast



Çağla Altıntaş is a former-maladaptive-daydreamer, a psychologist and an artist who has started a podcast showcasing her unique position on the issue of maladaptive daydreaming and art. She often puts a story together in the episode, working at the speed of her mind, also giving ample clues about her mind process, deliberately, with researchers in mind. Turkish speakers may find much interest in her podcast.


Çağla Altıntaş eski bir MD'li, bir psikolog ve bir sanatçı, ve geçtiğimiz günlerde içinde bulunduğu sıradışı konumu ortaya seren bir podcast yayınlamaya başladı. Podcastinde sıklıkla bir hikaye toparlıyor ve bunu zihninin hızıyla inşa ediyor; biz araştırmacıları göz önünde bulundurarak, istemli bir şekilde düşünce adımlarını belirginleştiriyor. Türkçe konuşan MDlilerin ve araştırmacıların bu podcastte ilgi çekici bir içerik bulacağını düşünüyoruz.


As the body of research on Maladaptive Daydreaming continues to grow and diversify, we stand on the cusp of groundbreaking discoveries that promise to elevate MD's scientific standing, paving the way for improved recognition, understanding, and treatment options for those affected by this fascinating condition.




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