Psychological Dissection of Patients Having Dissociative Disorder: A Cross-sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Background:

• Dissociative disorders manifest as a response to underlying stress.
• Identifying stressors and patient profiles is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sociodemographic and psychological profiles of patients with dissociative disorders.
• To identify common psychosocial stressors and their temporal relation to dissociation.
• To explore psychiatric comorbidities and personality traits in dissociative patients.

Main Methods:

• The study included 55 patients aged 5-45 diagnosed using ICD-10 DCR.
• Psychosocial stressors were assessed using the presumptive stressful life events scale/life events scale.
• Personality, temperament, and IQ were evaluated using standardized psychological instruments.

Main Results:

• All patients experienced significant psychosocial stressors preceding dissociation, with a temporal association in 83.64%.
• Family disharmony and educational problems were the most frequent stressors.
• Psychiatric comorbidity was present in 61.82% of patients; children exhibited high emotionality and energy, while adults showed neuroticism and unstable personality traits.

Conclusions:

• Dissociative disorders disproportionately affect females, adolescents, and individuals from lower socioeconomic and rural backgrounds.
• These disorders are consistently preceded by psychosocial stressors and frequently comorbid with depression and anxiety.
• Specific personality and temperamental traits are characteristic of adult and child dissociative patients, respectively.