Cultural differences on three measures of dissociation in a substance abuse population

Scores on three measures of dissociation were compared between 48 African American and 48 Caucasian men being treated for substance abuse at a VA Medical Center. The three assessment instruments included the Dissociative Experience Scale, the Questionnaire of Experiences of Dissociation, and the North Carolina Index of Dissociation. Groups were matched with respect to age, education, marital status, number of previous treatments, IQ, employment status, history of childhood abuse, and psychological discomfort. In each case, the African-American group scored higher, with statistical significance being achieved on two of the three instruments. Potential implications of these findings were discussed and future research was suggested.