What % of population Maladaptive daydream?

[Melissa C. Water]

I dont want to be rude by posting my own thread only days after I became a member, but I was looking for this info on the web and couldnt find it.

Does anyone know what percent of the population MDD?

[Rashomon Effect]

More than 90 percent.

[Rashomon Effect]

The 4% is based on a very unscientific survey of researchers and college professors (I think). Four percent of the folks who replied to the questionnaire self-identified as Fantasy Prone Personalities. The 4% is not accurate for FPP, but that is where that number originated. 
It does depend on how you define maladaptive daydreaming. People love the term MDD and take it for themselves, even though they are not describing the same behavior that other people who identify as MDD are describing.
The term Maladaptive Daydreaming is relatively new. The behavior is common and has been documented, studied and researched for a very long time.

Jack F. said:

I don't know exactly, but I would estimate a very small percentage. I've heard people mention 4% before, but that seems too high to me, because that would mean that I must have met lots of maladaptive daydreamers before, which doesn't seem likely. I guess it depends how you define maladaptive daydreaming, but I would estimate that severe cases are found in less than 1%

[roxanne]

We certainly seem related to Fantasy Prone Personalities & so their general statistic of 4% would seem a starting point.  I would guess that those of us who really compulsively fantasize comprise a smaller number.  But even if you go down to 1%, that gives us about 70 million people world wide.  As Cynthia Shulpak said in her paper, she was only looking at people who were on-line.  This undoubtedly represents a younger group and one that may be looking for more help with the syndrome.  If you haven't seen her full report it is very interesting.  It is under Links.  However, I got to it by going to something else first.  Play around for a while.

Cordellia may have a more current statistic.

[Rashomon Effect]

Their general statistic is WAY off on Fantasy Prone Personality, Roxanne.

Because the "symptoms" of maladaptive daydreaming are vague and there is NO diagnostic criteria and NO identifiable parameters for the "condition" anybody can call themselves MD.

Every person who daydreams fits the definition of maladaptive daydreaming. Do some people accomplish more in life than others? Yes

Is the number of people who currently use daydreaming as an excuse for not accomplishing more fairly low? Yes

You can rest easy. While email surveys and online forums that encourage people to self diagnose themselves and campaign for a new label are not scientific by any means. It is good enough for the multibillion dollar pharmaceutical companies. They will get MD recognized as an "official" condition and already have a large supply of drugs for the treatment.

roxanne said:

We certainly seem related to Fantasy Prone Personalities & so their general statistic of 4% would seem a starting point.  I would guess that those of us who really compulsively fantasize comprise a smaller number.  But even if you go down to 1%, that gives us about 70 million people world wide.  As Cynthia Shulpak said in her paper, she was only looking at people who were on-line.  This undoubtedly represents a younger group and one that may be looking for more help with the syndrome.  If you haven't seen her full report it is very interesting.  It is under Links.  However, I got to it by going to something else first.  Play around for a while.

Cordellia may have a more current statistic.

[roxanne]

You may have a point there.  but it is still  a lot of people no matter how you look at it.