Dissociative identity disorder: a literature review

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychology
• Social Sciences
• Nursing

Background:

• Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, is increasingly diagnosed.
• Increased diagnoses are linked to improved diagnostic tools and greater access to services for long-term effects of early childhood abuse and neglect.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the existing literature on dissociative identity disorder.
• To examine the disorder through various theoretical lenses, including psychiatry, psychology, corporeality, feminism, social constructivism, anthropology, and postmodernism.
• To explore the nursing literature and identify opportunities for future nursing research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of dissociative identity disorder.
• Analysis of diverse theoretical discourses (e.g., psychiatry, psychology, feminism, postmodernism).
• Examination of nursing literature related to DID.

Main Results:

• Dissociative identity disorder is conceptualized differently across various academic and clinical discourses.
• Each discourse suggests distinct approaches to understanding and treating DID.
• The nursing literature presents specific avenues for research into this complex mental health issue.

Conclusions:

• Understanding dissociative identity disorder requires integrating insights from multiple disciplines.
• Therapeutic approaches to DID vary significantly based on the theoretical framework used.
• Further nursing research is needed to address the complexities of dissociative identity disorder.