NCJ Number
177373
Journal
Journal of Traumatic Stress Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: October 1998 Pages: 711-730
Date Published
1998
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study compared the prevalence and severity of traumatic experiences reported by patients with dissociative disorders and other DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses and analyzed the predictive value of emotional, physical, and sexual trauma with respect to somatoform and psychological dissociation.
Abstract
As part of their clinical assessment, psychiatric outpatients who had substantial dissociative symptoms were interviewed. The experimental group included 39 women and 6 men who ranged in age from 20 to 58 years. The comparison group consisted of 43 psychiatric patients who were receiving treatment for a non-dissociative DSM-IV diagnosis. Data were obtained using the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders, the Dissociation Questionnaire, the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire, and the Traumatic Experiences Questionnaire. In contrast with comparison patients, dissociative disorder patients reported severe and multifaceted traumatization. Physical and sexual trauma predicted somatoform dissociation, and sexual trauma predicted psychological dissociation as well. According to memories of dissociative disorder patients, this abuse occurred in an emotionally neglectful and abusive social context. Pathological dissociation was best predicted by the early onset of reported intense, chronic, and multiple traumatization. Methodological limitations restricting causal inferences between reported trauma and dissociation are discussed. 65 references and 3 tables