An investigation into the complex world of aversive fantasies

Objective: The presence of violent fantasy (VF) has been seen as one of the risk factors for aggression in the past decades. This study aimed to summarise how VF is understood and related to its associated factors.

Method: A systematic search was conducted on three electronic databases in October 2023. Fourteen quantitative papers were critically appraised with three quality assessment tools.
Narrative synthesis was used to summarise definitions and measurements of VF, and findings of the studies included.

Results: The definition of VF was illustrated by two themes (textual descriptions and functions). The findings were summarised into three themes: (risk of aggression, cognitive
correlates and overlaps, and impact on psychological well-being) and six sub-themes (exposure to violence, beliefs about aggression, rumination and other cognitive correlates,
suicidality and social isolation)

Conclusions: VF is considered a cognitive rehearsal of mental images about hurting others or oneself, to escape from stressful situations. VF might not be the best indicator of aggression. The heterogeneity of measures and conceptual overlapping with cognitive functions suggested that VF remains poorly understood. The correlates of VF with psychological distress suggested a need for further investigation into vivid and continuous fantasies.