Dissociation as a mediator of posttraumatic symptoms in a Puerto Rican university sample

The prevalence of Dissociative Disorders and dissociative experiences in college populations: a meta-analysis of 98 studies

This meta-analysis of 31,905 college students includes 12 studies diagnosing Dissociative Disorders (DD) and 92 studies measuring dissociation with the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Prevalence rates were used to separately test the plausibility of the Trauma Model (TM) and the Fantasy Model (FM) of dissociation. Results show 11.4% of students sampled meet criteria for DD, which is consistent with the prevalence of experiencing multiple (types of) trauma during childhood (12%), but is not consistent with the very low prevalence expected from the role of fantasy-proneness proposed in the FM. DES scores varied significantly across the 16 countries and were not higher in North America, but in countries that were comparatively unsafe. The least well-known DD was the most common, which is inconsistent with the FM which holds that the diagnosed person is enacting a familiar social role. There was no evidence that DES scores had decreased over recent decades, which does not support FM assertions that DD were a fad of the 1990s. Three of the five hypotheses tested provided clear support for the TM and a fourth hypothesis provided partial support for the TM. None of the five hypotheses tested supported the FM. The finding that DD were slightly more common in college populations than the general population did not support predictions of either model. The theoretical perspective of the authors moderated DES scores, although this is unlikely due to experimenter bias as studies led by FM theorists had significantly higher DES scores than those led by TM theorists.

Dissociative Experiences and Psychopathology Among Inmates in Italian and Portuguese Prisons

The association between dissociation and psychopathological symptoms is well established, yet studies with inmates are lacking. If higher rates of dissociation and psychiatric symptoms are reported in inmate samples, it is not clear whether they represent two separate, albeit related, characteristics. We examined the association between dissociation and psychopathological symptoms among 320 Italian subjects (122 inmates and 198 community participants) and a Portuguese inmate sample ( n = 67). Then, we tested whether dissociation and psychopathology levels were higher among inmates. Both hypotheses were supported, confirming the relevance of dissociative, paranoid, and psychotic symptoms among inmates, as well as their interrelations. Notably, the group difference in dissociation remained significant after partialing out the variance associated with other psychopathological symptoms. Conversely, only the difference in paranoid symptoms remained-marginally-significant when controlling for the influence of dissociation. This finding suggests that dissociation may have unique relevance for the psychological functioning of inmates.

Dissociation mediates the association between intimate partner violence and posttraumatic stress among treatment-seeking incarcerated women

OBJECTIVE

Women in prison experience high rates of interpersonal trauma as well as elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relative to women in the general population. The present study examined the relationship between recent intimate partner violence (IPV), additional forms of lifetime trauma exposure, trait dissociation, and posttraumatic stress among a sample of incarcerated female survivors of IPV.

METHOD

Participants were 186 treatment-seeking incarcerated women who reported experiences of IPV in the year prior to incarceration. Participants completed self-report measures of IPV, nonpartner-perpetrated lifetime trauma exposure, trait dissociation, and PTSD symptomatology. Associations among study variables were evaluated using sequential multiple regression.

RESULTS

Participants reported experiencing several forms of interpersonal trauma. More than half of respondents (i.e., 53%) fell beyond a conservative cutoff score on the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, indicating clinically significant symptoms of PTSD. Trait dissociation partially mediated the association between IPV and PTSD symptoms above and beyond history of nonpartner-perpetrated violence. Trait dissociation emerged as the strongest independent predictor of PTSD symptoms and explained approximately 15% of the variance in PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This finding highlights the need for additional research concerning dissociation among women in prison and warrants consideration in future research and intervention efforts focused on trauma recovery among incarcerated women.

Relationship of cognitive function and adjustment difficulties among children and adolescents with dissociative disorder

Background and Aims:

Although it has been suggested that children and adolescents with dissociative disorder have some cognitive deficits, the association of these cognitive impairments with adjustment difficulties has not been evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between cognitive functioning and adjustment difficulties in children and adolescents with dissociative disorder.

Methods:

This cross-sectional, descriptive assessment was carried out in the outpatient setting of child and adolescent psychiatric service in a tertiary care hospital. Fifty newly diagnosed children and adolescents with dissociative disorder were included. The cognitive functions were assessed by varied neuropsychological tests, and Bell's adjustment inventory was used for assessing various domains of adjustment.

Results:

The mean age of the sample which comprised 40% males was 13.0 (±2.4) years. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ) of the sample was 90.6. Impairment in cognitive test was maximum for verbal working memory followed by sustained attention, visual learning and memory, and verbal retention and recall. Adjustment difficulties were greatest in the domains of self, followed by domains of health, school, and family. Significant association was found between the IQ and adjustment in school; visual learning and memory and adjustments in school and overall adjustment; and sustained attention and adjustment of health.

Conclusions:

Dissociative children have poor cognitive ability which may be related to poor adjustment scores.