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Published on: November 21, 2013
Risk factors in the early family life of patients suffering from dissociative disorders
P Pasquini1, G Liotti, E Mazzotti
1Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Psychology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy. p.pasquini@idi.it
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that not only intrafamiliar childhood abuses inflicted to the patient, but also major losses or other severe life events suffered by the mother within 2 years of patient's birth, are risk factors for the development of dissociative disorders (DDs).
Method:
A multicentric case-control study of 52 cases and 146 controls.
Results:
We estimated a crude odds ratio (OR) of 2.6 (adjusted 1.9) for mothers' losses or other severe life events experienced within 2 years of patient's birth, and a crude OR of 7.6 (adjusted 7.2) for patient's early traumatic experiences.
Conclusion:
Mother's losses or other severe life events within 2 years of patient's birth and patient's traumatic experiences during childhood are risk factors for the development of dissociative disorders. A possible explanation of these findings is that disorganized or insecure attachment may increase susceptibility to traumatic experiences and propensity to dissociation in adult life.
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