an australian research study into maladaptive daydreaming
About the Research Study: This research study into Maladaptive Daydreaming is being carried out by Rachael Haynes, a Researcher and Ph.D Candidate at The School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia. The study has received ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia. After a meeting in Israel, between Rachael Haynes and Professor Eli Somer, permission has been provided for the research study to utilise Professor Somer's Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) and the Structured Clinical Interview for Maladaptive Daydreaming (SCIMD).
This will be the first research study into the experience of Australian Maladaptive Daydreamers.
The study has two phases:
Phase I: will explore the experience of two participants, using a case study methodology. [Completed].
Phase II: will explore the experiences of 30 participants, through a confidential Facebook group. [Seeking participants].
The current research study will be Phase II: Online Forum, as the first phase (2 Case Studies) has reached completion. If you are interested, register your interest to participate, by clicking here to get to the Participants page.
About Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD):
The term Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) was created by Professor Eli Somer in his work at an Israeli Trauma Clinic (Somer, 2002). Somer's initial research into Maladaptive Daydreaming, identified the following features:
An addictive, idealised fantasy life;
vivid and intense daydreams, with numerous scenarios and storylines;
reports of intense feelings towards the characters in the daydreams;
often involving movement whilst daydreaming (pacing, mouthing, acting out the daydreams and fidgeting);
an awareness of both the fantasy World and the real World simultaneously;
often resulting in poor social skills, as a result of spending lengthy time within the daydream state;
reported as experiencing the daydreaming in childhood;
reports of feelings of embarrassment at the amount of time spent daydreaming, often resulting in a hidden and unspoken experience;
affecting people's ability to function in the real World (reducing opportunity for employment/study/relationships/friendships and affecting health and mental health);
the seeking of ideas in the real World i.e. using Pinterest to find the perfect daydream character/outfit/scenario.
More recently, Rachael Haynes, a Sydney-based Psychologist, has assisted some clients who were struggling with the challenges of Maladaptive Daydreaming. Rachael became fascinated in the phenomenon, and commenced her full-time Ph.D at Charles Sturt University, exploring Maladaptive Daydreaming in February 2016.