Continuing bonds and dreams following violent loss among Cambodian survivors of the pol pot era

In non-Western societies, two-way communication between the bereaved and deceased is important in distinguishing adaptive versus maladaptive continuing bonds (CBs). We examined CBs expressed in dreams among Cambodian survivors during the Pol Pot era. Participants completed measures addressing dreams of the deceased, complicated grief (CG), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Participants who reported distressing dreams were more likely to have witnessed violent deaths of loved ones during the Pol Pot era and reported more severe CG and PTSD symptoms relative to those reporting other types of dreams. Distressing visitation dreams were shown to mediate the effect of violent loss on CG but not on PTSD.