Dissociative experiences in the general population

Article Abstract:

In the past decade there has been a marked increase in the diagnosis and treatment of dissociative disorders, and of multiple personality disorders in particular. Dissociative disorders, formerly referred to as hysterical neuroses, are characterized by an inability to normally integrate identity, memory, or consciousness. Features may include the loss of personal identity, amnesia, assumption of another personality, or feelings of detachment from one's own physical or mental processes. Thus far, most research has concerned case studies from clinical populations. However, not all experiences of dissociation are considered a sign of illness. To investigate the prevalence of dissociative experiences in the general population, a random sample of 1,055 adults was given the Dissociative Experiences Scale, a 28-item self-reported test. Extensive demographic information on the subjects was compiled, and several general observations were made. The incidence of dissociative experiences was similar in men and women over the age of 18 years. Dissociative experiences were more prevalent in younger individuals and tended to decline after about the age of 40. The degree of dissociation experienced was independent of all major socioeconomic factors examined, which suggests that a predisposition is not related to psychosocial factors. Based on these results, the incidence of dissociative experiences in the general population is estimated to be between 5 and 10 percent. It is suggested that dissociative symptoms may accompany a wide range of psychiatric disorders, rather than being confined to specific conditions. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Social aspects, Statistics, Demographic aspects

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Dissociation and childhood trauma in psychologically disturbed adolescents

Article Abstract:

Dissociation, or the splitting of the mind into two or more compartments, of which the patient is unaware, is recognized as a psychiatric disorder in itself and also as a symptom of other psychiatric disorders. The most well-known type of dissociation is multiple personality disorder. In other diagnostic categories, dissociation may be present in such illnesses as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sometimes in eating disorders as well. Dissociative disorders are thought to develop, in part, in reaction to severe trauma (e.g. abuse as a child). Much less is known about the role of stressful early experiences in dissociative disorders other than multiple personality disorder, or about the relation between trauma and dissociation in other diagnostic categories (with the exception of PTSD). It was recently found among college students that dissociation was positively correlated with stressful or abusive earlier experiences. To test this relationship further, 47 adolescents between 13 and 17 years old who had been institutionalized for 1 to 13 weeks in a private mental hospital completed several questionnaires designed to gather information about dissociative experiences, incidence of child abuse, and childhood trauma. Scores of the dissociation scale correlated significantly with self-reported physical abuse or punishment, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and negative home atmosphere. These findings support the view that dissociation represents a defense reaction to early negative experiences. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Case studies, Causes of, Complications and side effects, Child abuse, Identity, Adolescent psychology, Multiple personality

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The structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R dissociative disorders: preliminary report on a new diagnostic instrument

Article Abstract:

Although the term dissociative disorders is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, revised (DSM-III-R), no standardized diagnostic test exists for clinicians to verify their diagnoses. A dissociative disorders is present when a patient suffers from a disturbance in identity, memory, or consciousness, functions which usually provide a sense of integration to the personality. Five groups of dissociative disorders have been described: amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D) was used to evaluate 41 psychiatric outpatients and 7 normal volunteers in taped interviews. Results obtained by the clinician performing the interview were then compared with those from an assessment of the tapes by another person. The SCID-D proved to be both reliable, in that both clinicians arrived at similar diagnoses, and valid, meaning that patients diagnosed as having a particular dissociative disorder did, in fact, have that disorder. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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