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Bereavement Dream? Successful antidepressant treatment for bereavement-related distressing dreams in patients with major depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2010

Mayumi Ishida ,
Hideki Onishi ,
Mei Wada ,
Tomomi Wada ,
Makoto Wada ,
Yosuke Uchitomi  and
Shinobu Nomura
Mayumi Ishida*
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa City, Saitama, Japan
Hideki Onishi
Affiliation:
Department of Psycho-Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Mei Wada
Affiliation:
Department of Psycho-Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Tomomi Wada
Affiliation:
Department of Psycho-Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Makoto Wada
Affiliation:
Department of Psycho-Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Yosuke Uchitomi
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
Shinobu Nomura
Affiliation:
Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Waseda, Japan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Mayumi Ishida, C.P., Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa City, Saitama 359-1192, Japan. E-mail: mayumi@fuji.waseda.jp
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Abstract

Objective:

The death of a person is a stressful event. Such stress affects the physical and psychological well-being of the bereaved. As an associated mental disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD) is common. Some dream of the deceased, and these dreams are called bereavement dreams. Some MDD patients also experience dreams. These two types of dreams are sometimes difficult to differentiate. The dream of the bereaved might be only a bereavement-related dream, yet it might be a symptom of MDD. Herein, we report one patient who had distressing dreams after the death of her mother.

Methods:

A 63-year-old woman was referred for psychiatric consultation because of generalized fatigue and insomnia. Questioning her about recent events, she said that her mother had died of colonic carcinoma 5 months previously. Two months after the death, she suddenly started dreaming of her mother, getting angry with her almost every night. Generalized fatigue, insomnia, and distressing dreams appeared simultaneously. The dream caused much distress, making her afraid to fall asleep.

Results:

Her psychiatric features fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for MDD, single episode. The death of her mother was considered to be one of the causes of MDD. She was administered 25 mg/day of sertraline hydrochloride. After that, her symptoms gradually disappeared, and the frequency of distressing dreams was reduced. Five months later, physical and psychiatric symptoms of MDD were completely resolved. Subsequently, she has not suffered from any distressing dreams of her mother.

Significance of results:

This case indicates that dreams experienced after the death of a loved one should not be regarded simply as bereavement dreams. Some of the dreams may be symptoms of MDD. If the dreams are the symptoms of MDD, antidepressant treatment as well as psychotherapy may be useful. Therefore, we should avoid regarding symptoms of MDD as reactions to bereavement.

Keywords

BereavementDepressionDifferential diagnosisDreamAntidepressant
Type
Case Report
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 95 - 98
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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