Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “DISSOCIATION”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Dissociation, abuse and the eating disorders: evidence from an Australian population.

OBJECTIVE: A number of European and Northern American studies have investigated a possible association between dissociative phenomena, eating disorders, child sexual abuse and self-mutilation. However, there has been little confirmation from other countries and cultures, and the Australian experience of these interrelationships has not previously been studied. METHOD: Dissociative symptomatology and self-reported history of abusive experiences, physical and sexual, were retrospectively studied in a sample of Australian eating disordered patients using a self-report measure, the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q). RESULTS: As hypothesised, dissociative symptoms were particularly frequent in those who reported child and adult sexual abuse and in those who self-mutilated. A correlation between multiple forms of abuse and higher dissociation scores was only partially upheld. CONCLUSIONS: Interrelationships between victimisation and dissociation are discussed within the context of current knowledge in the field, and brief suggestions for therapeutic strategies are offered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Positive and negative symptoms in dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia: a comparative analysis.

A substantial number of patients with dissociative identity disorder have had previous diagnoses of schizophrenia, due to the presence of positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The authors investigated the pattern of positive and negative symptoms in patients with dissociative identity disorder, and compared it with norms in schizophrenia. A total of 108 patients with a clinical diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder were administered the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The positive symptom and general psychopathology scores were significantly more severe in the dissociative identity group than the norms for schizophrenia, while the negative symptoms were significantly more severe in schizophrenia. Since patients with dissociative identity disorder report more positive symptoms of schizophrenia than do schizophrenics, while schizophrenics report more negative symptoms, a primary emphasis on positive symptoms may result in false-positive diagnoses of schizophrenia and false-negative diagnoses of dissociative identity disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Dissociative symptoms in panic disorder.

The present study examined the prevalence and correlates of dissociative symptoms in patients with panic disorder and patients with other nonpanic anxiety disorders. A total of 56 patients with anxiety disorders (13 with panic disorder alone, 16 with comorbid panic and other anxiety, and 27 with other anxiety disorders) were assessed with structured clinical interviews and a battery of questionnaires. Although 69% of patients with panic disorder experienced depersonalization or derealization during their panic attacks, panic disorder patients were no more likely to experience dissociative experiences as assessed by the Dissociative Experience Scale than patients with other anxiety disorders. In the entire sample, the prevalence of dissociative experiences was very low and well within nonpathological ranges. The correlates of dissociative symptoms were severity of depression, social anxiety, and personality disorders. The implications of these findings for conceptualizing the nature of dissociative symptoms within an anxiety population are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Twin study of dissociative experience.

The relative influence of genetic and environmental influences on measures of pathological and nonpathological dissociative experience was estimated using a classic twin-study design. Subjects were 177 monozygotic and 152 dizygotic volunteer general population twin pairs who completed two measures of dissociative capacity identified from the items comprising the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Additive genetic influences accounted for 48% and 55% of the variance in scales measuring pathological and nonpathological dissociative experience, respectively. Heritability estimates did not differ by gender. The genetic correlation between these measures was estimated at .91, suggesting common genetic factors underlying pathological and nonpathological dissociative capacity. Genetic and environmental correlations between the DES scales and measures of personality disorder traits (Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire; DAPP-BQ) were also estimated. Significant genetic correlations (median = .38) were found between the DES scales and DAPP-BQ cognitive dysregulation, affective lability, and suspiciousness, suggesting that the genetic factors underlying particular aspects of personality disorder also influence dissociative capacity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Dissociation in temporal lobe epilepsy and pseudo-epileptic seizure patients.

Patients with epileptic seizures (ES) and especially those with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) share many symptoms with patients with pseudo-epileptic seizures (PES), and the differentiation between them is often difficult There is growing evidence that a subgroup of PES patients suffer from a dissociative disorder. It is recognized that dissociative symptoms pertain to both psychological and somatoform components of experience. Questionnaires assessing dissociation might provide positive criteria for the diagnosis of PES. In this study, the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q) and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20) were administered to patients with ES (TLE, non-TLE) and PES. To control for the influence of general psychoneurotic complaints, the SCL-90 was administered. Apart from this, answers on a trauma questionnaire were related to the diagnosis. Results showed that PES patients scored significantly higher on the SDQ-20, also after correction with the SCL-90, and no difference was found on the DIS-Q. Also, PES patients significantly more often reported sexual traumatic experiences. A logistic regression revealed that results on the SDQ-20 have no independent value in addition to the contribution of gender, age, age at seizure onset, and the presence of sexual abuse in the prediction of the diagnosis. In conclusion, somatoform and not psychological dissociative symptoms are characteristic for PES patients in comparison to ES patients. Other measures are needed within the framework of the differential diagnosis between PES and ES.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Dissociation in adolescent girls with anorexia: relationship to comorbid psychopathology.

This study investigated the relationship between dissociation and psychological symptoms in adolescent girls with anorexia. First, the psychometric properties of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) were examined using data from 181 nonclinical adolescent boys and girls. Thereafter, A-DES scores and correlations with a range of psychological symptoms were compared across 20 girls with anorexia, 19 mixed clinical girls, and 86 nonclinical girls. The A-DES had a one-factor structure and good psychometric characteristics. Dissociation scores were significantly correlated with level of symptomatology for all groups. Although the group with anorexia did not have significantly higher dissociation scores than the other two groups, dissociation in the anorexic girls was related to psychopathology in a distinct way. Adolescent girls with anorexia appear to use dissociation specifically to avoid processing angry affect with an interpersonal basis, although it is also related to their use of somatization, and obsessive-compulsive features.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

An evaluation of cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment for dissociative seizures: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in an open trial the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment of adults with dissociative seizures (i.e., "pseudoseizures"). BACKGROUND: Although suggestions have been made concerning the management of patients with dissociative seizures, no studies have previously evaluated the systematic use of cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of this disorder. METHOD: Twenty patients diagnosed with dissociative seizures were offered treatment comprising 12 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy. Principal outcome measures were dissociative seizure frequency and psychosocial functioning, including improvement in employment status and mood. Measures were administered before treatment, at the end of treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Treatment was completed by 16 patients (questionnaire measures were not available for 4 patients who discontinued treatment). Following treatment, there was a highly significant reduction in seizure frequency and an improvement in self-rated psychosocial functioning. These improvements were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. There was also a tendency for patients to have improved their employment status between the start of treatment and the 6-month follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: In this open prospective trial, cognitive behavioral therapy was associated with a reduction in dissociative seizure frequency and an improvement in psychosocial functioning in adults with dissociative seizures.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Dissociation, resting EEG, and subjective sleep experiences in undergraduates.

In this study, we explored whether individual differences in dissociation are related to certain resting electroencephalographic (EEG) parameters. Baseline EEG with eyes open and closed was recorded in an undergraduate sample (N = 67). Cortical power in the alpha range was inversely related to dissociative symptoms as measured by the Dissociative Experiences Scale, while both delta and theta power where positively related to dissociation. However, sleep experiences, as indexed with the Iowa Sleep Experiences Survey, were unrelated to resting EEG characteristics. We propose that suppression in the alpha band and raised levels of theta activity, which are typical for high dissociators, might help to explain why dissociative symptoms are accompanied by attentional and memory deficits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dissociative disorder among abused children.

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychiatric problems and characteristics among children of child abuse (CA). Specifically, the authors investigated whether attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were exhibited before or after CA. A total of 39 abused child inpatients who were treated at Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center, Aichi, Japan, (mean age, 10.7 +/- 2.6; mean IQ scores, 84.1 +/- 19.3) were included in the study. The most frequent diagnosis was dissociative disorder in 59% of abused subjects. ADHD was diagnosed in 18% of abused subjects, and 71% of ADHD children had comorbid dissociative disorder. A total of 67% of all CA subjects fulfilled the ADHD criteria A according to DSM-IV-TR, however, only 27% of those fulfilled the criteria before CA. The subjects of dissociative disorder fulfilled ADHD criteria A more frequently than those of non-dissociative disorder (P = 0.013), and this result led to an increase in the frequency of the apparent ADHD. The rate of ADHD-suspected parents in the subjects who fulfilled ADHD criteria A after CA was significantly lower than those who fulfilled it before CA (P = 0.005). While it is difficult to distinguish ADHD from dissociative disorder, abused children may have increased apparent ADHD due to dissociative disorder. Further studies should be conducted in order to explore the distinct biological differences between ADHD before CA and the subjects who fulfilled ADHD criteria A after CA.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed2006

Study of stress and vulnerability in patients with somatoform and dissociative disorders in a psychiatric clinic in North India.

The authors compared perceived stress in subgroups of patients defined by vulnerability (high and low) and disorder (somatoform and dissociative). A total of 30 patients each of somatoform and dissociative disorders diagnosed according to the classification of mental and behavioral disorders criteria were assessed with Presumptive Stressful Life Event Scale, The Hassles Scale, Psychoticism Extraversion Neuroticism Inventory, Dissociative Experience Scale, Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithyma Scale, and Illness Behavior Questionnaire. Somatoform and dissociative disorder groups had comparable scores on measures of perceived stress and vulnerability. Two-way anova showed significant main effect of neuroticism (F = 13.65, d.f. = 1.56, P < 0.01), psychoticism (F = 7.92, d.f. = 1.56, P < 0.01), illness behavior (F = 5.82, d.f. = 1.56, P < 0.05), and dissociative experience (F = 8.45, d.f. = 1.56, P < 0.01) on total hassles score, but no significant main effect of disorder groups or interaction effect for disorder and vulnerability was seen on total hassles score. No significant main or interaction effect was seen on life events score. Similarities were seen in stress and vulnerability factors in the two disorders. Neuroticism, psychoticism, dissociative experience, and abnormal illness behavior were significantly related to stress (daily hassles) perceived by the patient, irrespective of the disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Does dissociation offer a useful explanation for psychopathology?

BACKGROUND: Dissociation is often conceptualised as an altered state of consciousness, a trance-like state in which normal barriers between conscious and unconscious memories, desires and beliefs break down and other amnestic barriers emerge. This review explores whether it is likely that there is a neurophysiology of pathological dissociative processes that will elucidate management. METHOD: A critical reading of current research, sourced through Medline and Psychinfo searches from 1990 to 2002, using subject headings: dissociative disorders, hypnosis and stress disorder (post-traumatic), as well as keywords: dissociation, hypnosis and trance. RESULTS: Current knowledge does not support the notion of dissociation as a discrete brain state or process. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric and neurophysiological research and theory development are better directed towards individual components that contribute to dissociative experience.

Brain↗
PubMed1993

Dissociative symptoms in a substance abuse population.

OBJECTIVE: This study was intended to examine the extent of dissociative experiences that exist within a substance abuse population and to determine how demographic and clinical variables affect these experiences. METHOD: A total of 265 male veterans being treated on an inpatient substance abuse unit completed a standard test battery that included the MMPI-2, the Shipley-Hartford Institute of Living Scale, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Additional demographic and clinical information was obtained from the patients' medical records. RESULTS: Over 41% of the cohort had scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale that suggested the need for further evaluation of a dissociative disorder. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that level of psychological discomfort, IQ, and race accounted for more than 24% of the variance in Dissociative Experiences Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: Substance abuse populations may need to be routinely screened for dissociative symptoms just as they are for depression and anxiety.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Characteristics of emergency services personnel related to peritraumatic dissociation during critical incident exposure.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of emergency services personnel related to acute dissociative responses at the time of critical incident exposure, a phenomenon designated "peritraumatic dissociation." METHOD: The authors studied 157 rescue workers who responded to the Nimitz Freeway collapse during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as 201 rescue workers who were not involved in that disaster. Demographics, level of critical incident exposure, perceived threat at the time of exposure, personality attributes (assessed by the Hogan Personality Inventory), coping strategies (assessed by the Ways of Coping Questionnaire), and locus of control were related to subjects' scores on the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire. RESULTS: According to univariate tests, the subjects with clinically meaningful levels of peritraumatic dissociation were younger; reported greater exposure to critical incident stress; felt greater perceived threat; had lower scores on the adjustment, identify, ambition, and prudence scales of the Hogan Personality Inventory; had higher scores on measures of coping by means of escape-avoidance, self-control, and active problem solving; and had greater externality in locus of control. Linear modeling with multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that greater feelings of perceived threat, coping by means of escape-avoidance, and coping by means of self-control were associated with a greater likelihood of being in the peritraumatic dissociation group, above and beyond age and exposure to stress. CONCLUSIONS: Rescue workers who are shy, inhibited, uncertain about their identity, or reluctant to take leadership roles, who have global cognitive styles, who believe their fate is determined by factors beyond their control, and who cope with critical incident trauma by emotional suppression and wishful thinking are at higher risk for acute dissociative responses to trauma and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress disorder following motor vehicle accidents.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relation between peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in victims of motor vehicle accidents. METHOD: Victims of serious motor vehicle accidents (N = 122) were assessed for peritraumatic dissociation with the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire-Rater Version and followed longitudinally to assess acute and chronic PTSD (1 month and 3 months after the accident) with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. RESULTS: The most common peritraumatic dissociative symptom was time distortion (56.6%). Subjects with peritraumatic dissociation were 4.12 times more likely than those without to have acute PTSD and 4.86 times more likely to develop chronic PTSD. The risk was independent of risk associated with the presence of PTSD before the accident. CONCLUSIONS: Peritraumatic dissociation is common following motor vehicle accidents and is a risk factor for acute and chronic PTSD, independent of risk associated with prior PTSD.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2004

Recognizing and treating uncommon behavioral and emotional disorders in children and adolescents who have been severely maltreated: dissociative disorders.

Children who have experienced severe maltreatment may use dissociation as a strategy to cope with the ongoing trauma of their maltreatment. Although dissociation may help children cope with maltreatment, it can become maladaptive if it is used in other contexts. This article explores the symptoms of dissociate disorders and the ways that maladaptive dissociation can develop in maltreated children. Strategies for distinguishing dissociative disorders from other disorders in children are reviewed and treatment strategies for children and adolescents with maladaptive dissociation, and their families, are explored.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Dissociative trance disorder: clinical and Rorschach findings in ten persons reporting demon possession and treated by exorcism.

Although dissociative trance disorders, especially possession disorder, are probably more common than is usually though, precise clinical data are lacking. Ten persons undergoing exorcisms for devil trance possession state were studied with the Dissociative Disorders Diagnostic Schedule and the Rorschach test. These persons had many traits in common with dissociative identity disorder patients. They were overwhelmed by paranormal experiences. Despite claiming possession by a demon, most of them managed to maintain normal social functioning. Rorschach findings showed that these persons had a complex personality organization: Some of them displayed a tendency to oversimplify stimulus perception whereas others seemed more committed to psychological complexity. Most had severe impairment of reality testing, and 6 of the participants had an extratensive coping stile. In this group of persons reporting demon possession, dissociative trance disorder seems to be a distinct clinical manifestation of a dissociative continuum, sharing some features with dissociative identity disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The development and psychometric evaluation of a new measure of dissociative activities.

The psychometric properties of a new measure of dissociative behaviors, the Scale of Dissociative Activities (SODAS), were evaluated. Undergraduates (n = 533) completed the SODAS, 2 other established self-report measures of dissociative behaviors, and a measure of socially desirable responding. A randomly selected subset of participants (n = 100) also participated in an additional reliability and validity follow-up study. The SODAS was found to be internally consistent (a =.95) and temporally stable (r =.77) over an average 38-day interval. The validity of the SODAS was established by a moderately low negative correlation with social desirability, high correlations with other self-report measures of dissociation, and moderate to high correlations with samples of dissociative activities assessed in naturalistic environments with experience sampling methodology. Overall, the SODAS compared favorably to other existing self-report measures of dissociative behaviors. Directions for future research on the SODAS are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The role of depression and dissociation in the link between childhood sexual abuse and later parental practices.

Research has yielded contradictory results on the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and later parental functioning. This study was undertaken to specify the link between childhood sexual abuse and maternal parenting, while taking into account mothers' childhood physical and emotional traumas and current depressive and dissociative symptoms. Data were collected through self-report measures completed by 93 French-speaking Canadian mothers of children aged 6 to 11 years referred to Youth Protection Services. Parental behaviors examined included involvement with the child, use of positive reinforcement, lack of monitoring and supervision of the child, inconsistency in applying discipline, and use of corporal punishment. Mothers' perception of the quality of the relationship with her child was also assessed. In addition, history of abuse and neglect, depression and dissociation were respectively measured with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Diagnostic Interview Schedule Simplified, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. The short-form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale was used to control for respondent bias aimed at minimizing their problems. Mothers' current depressive symptoms were not found to predict any of the parental dimensions measured. Results from multiple hierarchical regressions pointed to dissociative symptoms as the key predictor of parental practices and attitudes. More specifically, dissociative symptoms predicted the use of positive reinforcement, lack of monitoring and supervision of the child, inconsistency in applying discipline, and use of corporal punishment. Dissociation also mediated the association between childhood maltreatment (physical and emotional abuse and neglect) and inconsistency in applying discipline. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Adult↗