The prevalence of isolated sleep paralysis among a sample of Nigerian civil servants and undergraduates

Abstract

The study investigated the prevalence of isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) among workers; and the relationship between examination stress and ISP among 183 undergraduates in the week of examination, compared with 61 control students. The correlation between ISP experience and psychological distress and distressing life conditions was explored using Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and a life events scale. It was found that 153 (35.5%) subjects admitted having ISP at least twice in the past year. There was no significant difference in prevalence between workers and students. There was non-significant tendency for students under examination stress to report higher frequencies of ISP. ISP was significantly associated with GHQ-12 and life events scores. The findings are similar to African-American reports. An illustrative case was cited to support the psychoanalytic view of ISP as a manifestation of an inhibition that serves to ward off forbidden impulses. It is hoped that the awareness of ISP promoted by these studies will empower therapists to help people who suffer from the psychic distress associated with ISP whilst demystifying the enigma of ISP among those who seek help at religious faith healing centres, where supernatural beliefs concerning ISP are encouraged.