Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Dissociative Identity Disorder”

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 793 records · Page 44Linked to original sources

The relationship of peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress: findings in female Vietnam theater veterans.

This study examined the relationship of dissociation at the time of trauma, as assessed by the Peritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Questionnaire, Rater Version (PDEQ-RV; C.R. Marmar, D.S. Weiss, & T.J. Metzler, in press), and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a group of 77 female Vietnam theater veterans. PDEQ-RV ratings were found to be associated strongly with posttraumatic stress symptomatology, as measured by the Impact of Event Scale (M.J. Horowitz, N. Wilner, & W. Alvarez, 1979), and also positively associated with level of stress exposure and general dissociative tendencies, measured by the Dissociative Experiences Scale. The PDEQ-RV was unassociated with general psychiatric symptomatology, as assessed by the clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (J.N. Butcher, W.G. Dahlstrom, J.R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989). The PDEQ-RV was predictive of posttraumatic stress symptoms beyond the contributions of level of stress exposure and general dissociative tendencies. The findings provide further support for the reliability and validity of the PDEQ-RV as a measure of peritraumatic dissociation.

Adult↗

A therapy group for mothers with dissociative disorders.

This paper describes the evolution of a therapy group for mothers with dissociative disorders. Although the group is for survivors of childhood trauma, its focus is on the present dilemmas of child rearing rather than on past traumas. It uses mothering as a common bond to improve parenting and interpersonal skills and to propel forward each member's individual therapy. The article summarizes the relevant literature, provides a rationale for such a group, and discusses the issues of cotherapy, combined therapy, group process, transference, countertransference, and thematic material.

Adult↗

Nosology and etiology of a spirit disorder (vimbuza) in Malawi.

In this study the traditional and transitional nosology and etiology of the spirit disorder vimbuza was investigated by interviewing patients (n = 116) who were suffering from that condition. The illness concept was compared with western psychiatric classifications. As a result, 23 symptom descriptions were identified, 13 can be referred to as conversion or dissociation disorder and 7 to depressive neurosis. The remaining 3 symptom descriptions refer to an acute delusional or confusional state. Comparing the traditional and transitional symptom descriptions on the head and heart, a shift from the heart to the head becomes evident in the transitional or urban Malawian. The transitional etiology is the same as the traditional etiology, only that the transitional person more often refers to 'Too much thinking' and 'natural' than to 'bad ancestral spirits' and 'witchcraft'.

Conversion Disorder↗

Dissociative experience in a group of adolescents with history of abuse.

57 successive admissions of adolescents with a history of abuse were examined to assess the extent of dissociative experience and possible differences in amount of dissociation related to types of abuse (physical, sexual, and both). The subjects showed a trend towards increased dissociation with inclusion of sexual abuse in their histories, and over-all significant dissociation when compared with a general inpatient psychiatric sample.

Adolescent↗

Dissociative tendencies and dissociative disorders.

Although dissociative disorders are relatively rare, dissociative experiences are rather common in everyday life. Dissociative tendencies appear to be modestly related to other dimensions of personality, such as hypnotizability, absorption, fantasy proneness, and some facets of openness to experience. These dispositional variables may constitute diathesis, or risk factors, for dissociative psychopathology, but more complex models relating personality to psychopathology may be more appropriate. The dissociative disorders raise fundamental questions about the nature of self and identity and the role of consciousness and autobiographical memory in the continuity of personality.

Dissociative Disorders↗

Limited utility of ICD-10 and DSM-IV classification of dissociative and conversion disorders in India.

Studies of psychiatric out-patients from India have found that diagnosis of some of the subcategories of the dissociative and conversion disorders of the ICD and DSM classificatory systems are rarely made in this setting. Moreover, it was found that a significant percentage of patients seen in psychiatric practice may not fit into the defined subcategories of dissociative (conversion) disorders of these systems of classification. We studied the prevalence of various ICD-10 and DSM-IV categories of dissociative (conversion) disorders and our own proposed category of 'brief dissociative stupor' (BDS), among all the in-patients of a psychiatric unit in a general teaching hospital, over a 2-year period. There were 18 patients who fulfilled our criteria for BDS and 18 patients in the second group which included all of the remaining subjects with a diagnosis of any other subcategory of dissociative disorder according to ICD-10. Our analysis revealed that there were no patients with a diagnosis of dissociative amnesia, fugue, stupor, trance and possession disorders or identity disorders. There were significantly more female patients in the BDS group, and they also had significantly more comorbid Axis-I diagnoses and panic attacks. Since 50% of our patients fulfilled the criteria for BDS, there is clearly a need for further studies to establish the prevalence of this subcategory in patients from other centres. The classification of these patients with this phenomenology is problematic. Inclusion of a subcategory of dissociative non-epileptic seizures, instead of dissociative convulsions, should improve the classification of dissociative (conversion) disorders.

Adolescent↗

Psychogenic or dissociative fugue: a clinical investigation of five cases.

Dissociative fugue (formerly psychogenic fugue) is a rare and little understood dissociative disorder. Following a review of the pertinent literature, five cases of dissociative fugue are described. These cases were systematically studied with a comprehensive history, mental status examination, physical and neurological evaluation, review of previous medical and psychiatric records, and psychological testing including MMPI, WAIS-R, electroencephalogram, and Dissociative Experiences Scale. An unexpected finding was that, in some cases, associated criminal activity may allow the person with dissociative fugue to continue to function in spite of their loss of memory and original identity.

Adult↗

Psychotic withdrawal and the overthrow of psychic reality.

The author attempts to distinguish between the world of fantasy and the imagination (which fuels our capacity to 'dream') from a withdrawal into fantasy. In this withdrawal, the foundations of which are laid in childhood, a dissociation from psychic reality starts and from it the delusional world arises and constitutes the adult illness. During therapies of adult patients who have experienced a psychotic state, it is often possible to reconstruct the state of infantile withdrawal and understand how their dissociation from reality was ignored or unknowingly encouraged by their parents. Children destined to develop psychosis enter into the dissociated world not just as a defence against anguish or loneliness, but also for the pleasure of experiencing a delusional self-sufficiency and a gratifying omnipotence in which anything is possible. Mental workings that take place in the withdrawal do not follow the rules governing normal psychic functioning. Those fantasies cannot be either repressed or 'dreamed' in order to be transformed into thoughts. These psychopathological structures, which develop early and autonomously, have to be understood during analytical therapy in their origins and 'deconstructed' in order to help the patient to escape from their dominion. By means of clinical examples, the author tries to shed light on the possible ways of reaching patients in their psychotic shelters, thereby helping them to re-emerge into a psychic reality.

Adolescent↗

A woman with dermatitis and dissociative periods.

A nineteen year old female with pustular eczema and dissociative spells is presented. The patient has a three year history of severe dermatitis beginning shortly after her marriage. Central dynamic issues appear to be difficulty separating from her mother and an ambivalent identification with a hostile father. The patient also describes fugue-like episodes which occur with emerging aggressive feelings. Psychological testing supported these hypotheses. The relevant literature describing the correlation between aggression and skin disease is reviewed. A final uniform formulation was tentatively proposed that this patient, in addition to a strong genetic component for atopic dermatitis, had her illness abetted by inability to cope with aggressive affects.

Adult↗

[Psychogenic disorders: concepts, terminology and classification].

The neurological interest on functional or psychogenic disorders (mental or physical disturbances with no organic basis, generally unleashed by stressful situations) has been receiving increasingly more interest over the last few years. In this article we review concepts, terms and classifications of these disorders, very different over time and among different authors. Psychogenic disorders are divided into: a) dissociation (with memory, consciousness and self-identity impairment), and b) disturbances with somatizations, divided into somatoform (unconscious), factitious (voluntary search for patient's role) and malingering (searching for material gain). Special emphasis is placed on conversion or hysteria, included in somatoform disorders. New findings in functional neuroimaging are analyzed. These new data suggest an important role of unconscious and involuntary inhibition in loss of volition (similar to hypnosis and different from malingering). Normal activity in certain brain areas (motor or sensory cortex) is blocked by other areas related to emotional integration (anterior cingular and orbitofrontal cortex). The neurologist's role is important to achieve an early diagnosis of psychogenic disturbances, particularly conversive ones. This means the use of fewer economic resources and better prognosis for the patient.

Dissociative Disorders↗

Dissociation, childhood interpersonal trauma, and family functioning in patients with somatization disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The goals of this study were to determine 1) the occurrence of various dissociative phenomena in patients with somatization disorder, 2) the occurrence of six different types of childhood interpersonal trauma in these patients, and 3) the nature of these patients' early family environment. METHOD: Twenty-two patients with somatization disorder and 19 medical comparison subjects completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders, the Childhood Trauma Interview, and the Family Functioning Scale. RESULTS: The somatization disorder patients reported significantly higher level of dissociative amnesia than the comparison subjects. The two groups reported similar levels of depersonalization, derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration. Somatization disorder patients reported significantly greater childhood emotional abuse and more severe forms of physical abuse, relative to the comparison subjects, with chronic emotional abuse being the best predictor of unexplained symptoms. Childhood sexual abuse, separation/loss, and witnessing violence were equally common in the two groups. The somatization disorder group reported significantly more family conflict and less family cohesion. CONCLUSIONS: Only some types of dissociation are more severe in patients with somatization disorder, relative to medical comparison subjects. Many patients with somatization disorder are raised in an emotionally cold, distant, and unsupportive family environment characterized by chronic emotional and physical abuse. Sexual abuse is not a necessary prerequisite for the disorder.

Adult↗

Dissociative disorders and traumatic childhood experiences in transsexuals.

In this first prevalence study of dissociative symptoms and different forms of childhood experiences among transsexuals, 41 transsexuals and 115 psychiatric inpatients were compared by means of the Interview for Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D-R), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The total score for the dissociative symptoms revealed no significant differences between the transsexuals and the psychiatric inpatients. However, the higher DES score among transsexuals compared with a normal population was found to be due largely to one item. A surprisingly high prevalence of emotional maltreatment was recorded. The results suggest that both the DES and the SCID-D-R have limited validity as instruments for screening and diagnosing dissociative disorders in transsexuals. Psychiatrists should be mindful of the possible existence of dissociative disorders in transsexual patients. Further investigations are needed to clarify the effects of traumatic childhood experiences on sexual identity in transsexuals and to throw more light on the phenomenological correlation between transsexualism and dissociative identity, using taxometric analyses.

Adult↗

[Psychogenic impaired consciousness].

Until not too long ago, psychogenic trance was considered to be a 'conversion hysteria'. But clinical syndromes and personality disorders are now seen as separate entities; therefore, psychogenic trance is part of the so-called 'dissociative disorders'. Here, the integrative functions of the psyche are reduced and control of memory, identity, sensoric and motoric functions are impaired. As a consequence, certain disorders are observed, which have common characteristics, such as onset (psychogenic trauma), course (initial panic or belle indifference) and psychodynamics (repression of an unbearable reality). The following disorders can be distinguished: --psychogenic amnesia: partial or complete loss of memory --psychogenic trance: temporary loss of habitual identity with more or less full awareness of surroundings --psychogenic fugue: apparently purposeful journey away from home with psychogenic amnesia --psychogenic stupor: profound diminuation or absence of voluntary movement and no responsiveness to external stimuli.

Accidents, Aviation↗

Contemporary issues in the psychotherapy of women.

According to current research findings, women are more likely than men to suffer from depression, eating disorders, and multiple personality disorder. The authors review recent advances in the understanding of female psychology, family systems theory, and psychoanalytic theory to show how women's unique developmental challenges and complex social conditions interact to determine the form and expression of these disorders. After discussing contributing factors, the authors suggest appropriate approaches to diagnosis and treatment. They conclude that therapists of both genders must appreciate the complex causes of these disorders to be most helpful to their female patients.

Depressive Disorder↗