A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DAYDREAMING, LONELINESS, AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT IN MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v22i3.1912Keywords:
Daydreaming, loneliness, social support, studentsAbstract
Background: Loneliness or maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is an emerging phenomenon and perceived social support is possibly protective in this regard. This study was undertaken to assess their relationship in medical students. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Aziz Fatimah Medical and Dental College, Faisalabad, from Jun to Sep 2025. A total of 280 MBBS students were taken using non-probability quota sampling. Standardized tools used were: Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale-Short Form (MD-SF5), UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Perceived Social Support (PSS). Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests on group comparisons; Spearman’s correlation for associational studies and binary logistic regression to identify predictors. Results: The mean scores of scales observed were: loneliness -1.74±0.44, perceived social support (PSS) -2.24±0.66, and maladaptive daydreaming -1.44±0.49. Gender differences were non-significant for loneliness (p=0.497) and maladaptive daydreaming (p=0.718), but males reported significantly greater support from friends (p=0.001), family (p=0.005), and significant others (p=0.003). Logistic regression analysis showed that having support from a significant other marginally reduced loneliness (aOR=0.66, p=0.05), while friendship support reduced maladaptive daydreaming (aOR=0.39, p=0.030). All PSS subscales were negatively correlated with loneliness (p<0.01). Conclusion: Loneliness and maladaptive daydreaming were not correlated with either gender or year of study. Support from friends and significant others emerged as an important protective factor. However, findings are based on a single institution, limiting generalizability.
Pak J Physiol 2026;22(3):165–9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v22i3.1912
Downloads
References
Costanzo A, Santoro G, Russo S, Cassarà MS, Midolo LR, Billieux J, et al. Attached to virtual dreams: The mediating role of maladaptive daydreaming in the relationship between attachment styles and problematic social media use. J Nerv Ment Dis 2021;209(9):656–64.
Mancinelli E, Spisto S, Sukhija VJ, Salcuni S. Maladaptive daydreaming as emotion regulation strategy: exploring the association with emotion regulation, psychological symptoms, and negative problem-solving orientation. Curr Psychol 2024;43:28578–89.
Dao PQ, Alexandrovna PA. Loneliness as a motivating factor for maladaptive daydreaming among Vietnamese adolescents: the role of online novel reading. Psychol Health Med 2026;31(2):453–67.
Giordano F, Calaresi D, Saladino V, Verrastro V. Perception of loneliness in adolescence: Role of maladaptive personality traits and trauma-related symptomatology. Brain Sci 2025;15(1):86.
Verity L, Yang K, Nowland R, Shankar A, Turnbull M, Qualter P. Loneliness from the adolescent perspective: A qualitative analysis of conversations about loneliness between adolescents and Childline counselors. J Adolesc Res 2024;39(5):1413–43.
Zaheer UA, Mastrokoukou S, Longobardi C, Bozzato P. Parent attachment and video gaming addiction: The serial mediation role of social support and maladaptive daydreaming. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2025;15(4):60.
Soffer-Dudek N, Theodor-Katz N. Maladaptive daydreaming: Epidemiological data on a newly identified syndrome. Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:871041.
Sanders MR. The Tiple P System of evidence-based parenting support: Past, present, and Future directions. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023;26:880–903.
Nguyen TV, Weinstein N, Deci EL. Alone with our thoughts: Investigation of autonomy supportive framing as a driver of enjoyment during quiet time in solitude. Collabra Psychol 2022;8(1):31629.
Bashir MMI. Prevalence of maladaptive daydreaming among medical students at the University of Khartoum, Sudan, in 2020–2021. Middle East Curr Psychiatry 2021;28(1):41.
Pezzi M, Zagaria A, Miguel-Alvaro A, Gámez-Guadix M, Gori A, Santoro G, et al. Maladaptive daydreaming and problematic online behaviors: A network analysis approach. J Psychiatr Res 2024;177:314-20.
Etikan I, Musa SA, Alkassim RS. Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. Am J Theor Appl Stat 2016;5(1):1–4.
Nowacki A, Pyszkowska A. It is all about discomfort avoidance: maladaptive daydreaming, frustration intolerance, and coping strategies —a network analysis. Curr Psychol 2024;43:27447–55.
Musetti A, Soffer-Dudek N, Imperato C, Schimmenti A, Franceschini C. Longitudinal associations between maladaptive daydreaming and psychological distress during the COVID-19 health crisis. J Behav Addict 2023;12(1):288–94.
Qirtas MM, Zafeiridi E, White EB, Pesch D. Unmasking nuances affecting loneliness: using digital behavioural markers to understand social and emotional loneliness in college students. Sensors 2025;25(6):1903.
Soffer-Dudek N, Somer E. Trapped in a daydream: Daily elevations in maladaptive daydreaming are associated with daily psychopathological symptoms. Front Psychiatry 2018;9:194.
Shalaby RAH, Agyapong VIO. Peer support in mental health: literature review. JMIR Ment Health 2020;7(6):e15572.
Holm-Hadulla RM, Wendler H, Baracsi G, Storck T, Möltner A, Herpertz SC. Depression and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic in a student population: the effects of establishing and relaxing social restrictions. Front Psychiatry 2023;14:1200643.
Soffer-Dudek N, Oh H. Maladaptive daydreaming: A shortened assessment measure and its mental health correlates in a large United States sample. Compr Psychiatry 2024;129:152441.
Chirico I., Volpato E., Landi G, Bassi G, Mancinelli E, Gagliardini G, et al. Maladaptive daydreaming and its relationship with psychopathological symptoms, emotion regulation, and problematic social networking sites use: A network analysis approach. Int J Ment Health Addicti 2024;22:1484–500.
Abrams MP, Salzman J, Espina Rey A, Daly K. Impact of providing peer support on medical students’ empathy, self-efficacy, and mental health stigma. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022;19(9):5135.
Qirtas MM, Zafeiridi E, White EB, Pesch D. The relationship between loneliness and depression among college students: Mining data derived from passive sensing. Digit Health 2023;9:20552076231211104.
Fischera W, Lucas A, Griffiths M. ‘Peeling Back Another Layer of Yourself’: An interpretive phenomenological analysis of disclosures about maladaptive daydreaming. Acta Psychol 2025;259:105313.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohi Ud Din, Palwasha Iftikhar, Zara Rashid, Muhammad Rehman Hussain, Muhammad Usman Khalid, Faseeh Salman Rizwan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The author(s) retain the copyrights and allow their publication in Pakistan Journal of Physiology/Pak J Physiol/PJP to be FREE for research and academic purposes. It can be downloaded and stored, printed, presented, projected, cited and quoted with full reference of, and acknowledgement to the author(s) and the PJP. The contents are published with CC BY-ND 4.0 International License.
