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Reduction in dissociation due to aging and cognitive deficit
R Walker1, J Gregory, S Oakley
1Department of Psychiatric Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC, USA.
Comprehensive Psychiatry
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Older psychiatric patients report fewer dissociative experiences than younger adults. This reduction in dissociativity is linked to aging, not solely cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Dissociative experiences are common in psychiatric populations.
- Age-related changes in cognition and mental health are significant areas of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the frequency of dissociative experiences between older and younger psychiatric outpatients.
- To investigate the influence of cognitive deficits on dissociativity across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE).
- Compared scores from 52 outpatients aged 60+ with 50 outpatients aged 35-55.
- Included patients from Mental Health Center and University Medical Center clinics.
Main Results:
- Older patients (60+) exhibited significantly lower median scores on both DES and MMSE compared to younger patients (35-55).
- Reduced cognitive function (lower MMSE scores) correlated with lower DES scores in both age groups.
- Older patients with minimal cognitive deficits still showed reduced dissociativity, suggesting an age-related factor.
Conclusions:
- Dissociativity decreases beyond the fourth decade of life and is not solely dependent on age-related cognitive decline.
- Aging processes appear to independently reduce dissociativity, separate from cognitive deficits.
- The study questions the use of the DES for screening without accounting for age and cognitive status.