Related Experiment Videos
Multiple personality disorder: an analysis of 236 cases
C A Ross1, G R Norton, K Wozney
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
Summary
Multiple personality disorder (MPD) patients often experienced childhood abuse and had numerous alter personalities. These individuals exhibited high rates of suicidal behavior and were frequently misdiagnosed with other mental health conditions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), is a complex condition.
- Childhood trauma is widely recognized as a significant contributing factor to its development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze a large cohort of diagnosed MPD cases.
- To identify common characteristics, including demographics, trauma history, and presenting symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis.
- Data collected from 203 mental health professionals reporting on 236 MPD patients.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of childhood sexual (79.2%) and physical (74.9%) abuse.
- Average of 15.7 distinct personalities and 6.7 years in treatment before diagnosis.
- Common alter types include child, different age, protector, and persecutor personalities.
- Elevated rates of suicide attempts (72%) and successful suicides (2.1%).
- Frequent prior misdiagnoses, including affective disorders (63.7%), personality disorders (57.4%), anxiety disorders (44.3%), and schizophrenia (40.8%).
Conclusions:
- MPD is strongly linked to severe childhood trauma.
- Delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis are common challenges in MPD treatment.
- High suicide risk necessitates urgent clinical attention and specialized care for MPD patients.