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Query: UMLS:C0011551 (depersonalization)
 1,117 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Prior research on the MMPI has cautioned against misdiagnosing schizophrenia in patients with dissociative identity disorder. The present study examined the full spectrum of the dissociative experience in relation to MMPI-2 profiles. Ninety-eight women in treatment for trauma-related disorders completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the MMPI-2 in routine inpatient diagnostic evaluations. Consistent with prior research, severe dissociation was associated with high elevations on MMPI-2 scales typically associated with psychotic symptoms. Contrary to hypotheses, the ostensibly most benign form of dissociation, absorption and imaginative involvement, was somewhat more strongly related to MMPI-2 scores than the more pathognomonic forms of dissociation, depersonalization and amnesia. Although it should not be misdiagnosed, severe impairment on the MMPI in conjunction with dissociation should be taken seriously as suggesting vulnerability to psychotic experience. The dissociative retreat from the stressors of outer reality opens the door to the inner world of traumatic images and affects, along with compromised reality testing and disorganized thinking.
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PMID:Dissociation and vulnerability to psychotic experience. The Dissociative Experiences Scale and the MMPI-2. 756 6

The test-retest reliability of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; Bernstein EM, Putnam FW [1986] Development, reliability, and validity of a dissociation scale. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 174:727-735) in a clinical sample was found to be .93 for the total DES score and .95, .89, and .82 for the three subscale scores of amnesia, depersonalization-derealization, and absorption (dissociative identity disorder [DID], DSM-IV), respectively. Test-retest reliabilities within diagnostic groups of multiple personality disorder, dissociative disorder not otherwise specified, and a general other category of psychiatric diagnoses were obtained for total and subscale scores on the DES. These ranged from .78 to .96. Tests of mean scores across the two test sessions showed the total and subscale scores to be temporally stable. The DES was also found to be highly internally consistent: Cronbach's alphas of .96 and .97 were observed for the total DES scores taken at times 1 and 2, respectively. Construct validity of the DES was demonstrated by differentiation among the subscale scores in a repeated-measures analysis of variance (F[2,154] = 32.03, p < or = .001). Normality and general distribution issues were also addressed and provided a rationale for using the DES with parametric statistics. Reasons why the DES (as it was originally designed) is not appropriate as a dependent measure in outcome research are discussed, along with needed future research. Implications of the findings for the clinical usefulness of the DES as a diagnostic instrument are noted.
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PMID:Psychometric properties of the Dissociative Experiences Scale. 771 11

The goal of this study was to investigate the dissociative phenomenology of dissociative identity disorder (DID). The Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID) was administered to 34 patients with DID, 23 patients with dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS), 52 patients with mixed psychiatric disorders, and 58 normal individuals. DID patients obtained significantly higher scores than the other three groups on 27 dissociation-related variables. DDNOS patients had significantly higher scores than normals and mixed psychiatric patients on 17 and 15 dissociation-related variables, respectively. The findings of the present study are virtually identical to a large body of replicated findings about the dissociative phenomenology of DID. This broad range of dissociation-related phenomena, which routinely occurs in individuals with DID, is largely absent from the DSM-IV-TR account of DID. Factor analysis of the 11 dimensions of dissociation that are measured by the MID extracted only one factor that accounted for 85% of the variance. It was concluded that dissociation is a unifactorial taxon or natural type that has different aspects or epiphenomena (i.e., amnesia, depersonalization, voices, trance, etc.).
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PMID:Dissociative phenomenology of dissociative identity disorder. 1183 24

There is little systematic research on the cross-cultural validity of the dissociative disorders, especially in non-western countries. This study evaluates the fit of the DSM-IV classification and concepts of these disorders with local concepts, experiences and local presentations in south-west Uganda. We conducted focus group discussions with medical students, traditional healers, religious leaders, counselors, community members and other health workers (n=48). They were supplemented by key informant interviews with religious people, traditional healers and leaders (n=11). The responses were subjected to thematic analysis. Dissociative amnesia and depersonalization were generally recognized and seen as the result of traumatic experiences and were useful categories in Uganda. However, dissociative fugue did not match local concepts and was confused with spirit possession and other conditions such as alcoholic fugues and dementia. The description of dissociative identity disorder was always interpreted as a possession trance disorder by the local healers. We found only partial support for the validity of the DSM-IV classification of dissociative disorders in Uganda.
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PMID:The validity of DSM-IV dissociative disorders categories in south-west Uganda. 1611 84

Recent evidence suggests that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is related to reduced size of the parietal lobe. Dissociative symptoms occur in the majority of individuals with BPD. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (3D-MRI) was used to assess volumes of the superior (precuneus, postcentral gyrus) and inferior parietal cortices in 30 young women with BPD who had been exposed to severe childhood sexual and physical abuse and 25 healthy control subjects. Compared with control subjects, BPD subjects had significantly smaller right-sided precuneus (-9%) volumes. The left postcentral gyrus of BPD subjects with the comorbid diagnosis of dissociative amnesia (DA) or dissociative identity disorder (DID) was significantly increased compared with controls (+13%) and compared with BPD subjects without these disorders (+11%). In BPD subjects, stronger depersonalization was significantly related to larger right precuneus size. Possibly, larger precuneus size in BPD is related to symptoms of depersonalization. Increased postcentral gyrus size in BPD may be related to the development of DA or DID in the presence of severe childhood abuse.
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PMID:Size abnormalities of the superior parietal cortices are related to dissociation in borderline personality disorder. 1782 65

The objective of the present study was to assess in detail the whole spectrum of normal and pathological dissociative experiences and dissociative disorder (DD) diagnoses in borderline personality disorder (BPD) as diagnosed with the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines. Dissociation was measured comprehensively in 21 BPD outpatients using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders-Revised, the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID), the Dissociative Experiences Scale pathological taxon analysis, and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire. The frequencies of DDs in this BPD sample were as follows: 24% no DD, 29% mild DD (dissociative amnesia and depersonalization disorder), 24% DD Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS), and 24% dissociative identity disorder. With regard to the dissociative experiences endorsed, almost all patients reported identity confusion, unexplained mood changes, and depersonalization. Even those BPD patients with mild DD reported derealization, depersonalization, and dissociative amnesia. BPD patients with DDNOS reported frequent depersonalization, frequent amnesia, and notable experiences of identity alteration. BPD patients with dissociative identity disorder endorsed severe dissociative symptoms in all categories. Analysis of the MID pathological dissociation items revealed that 32% of the items were endorsed at a clinically significant level of frequency by more than 50% of our BPD patients. In conclusion, the frequencies of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) DDs in these patients with BPD were surprisingly high. Likewise, the "average" BPD patient endorsed a wide variety of recurrent pathological dissociative symptoms.
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PMID:Dissociation in borderline personality disorder: a detailed look. 1958 41

Dissociation involves a variety of clinical concepts, and some disorders are also similar to but not the same as dissociation. Dissociative disorder is considered to be a pathological phenomenon based on a psychological mechanism. Accurate diagnosis is very important to ensure that patients receive adequate treatment, although such consideration is not unique to dissociative disorder. Accordingly, there is a need to carefully distinguish dissociation from other disorders. In this article, we outline a number of dissociative and dissociative-like states from the symptoms of amnesia, depersonalization and switching. In particular, we highlight the differences between transient global amnesia and dissociative amnesia, and imaginary companions and dissociative alter personality. Additionally, as the symptoms of conditions such as dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder are easily confused, we also made efforts to organize them.
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PMID:[Significance of and considerations relating to the diagnosis of dissociation]. 2211 95

Dissociative disorders are frequent comorbid conditions of other mental disorders. Yet, there is controversy about their clinical relevance, and little systematic research has been done on how they influence global functioning. Outpatients and day care patients (N=160) of several psychiatric units in Switzerland were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV Axis I Disorders, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders, Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-II. The association between subjects with a dissociative disorder (N=30) and functional impairment after accounting for non-dissociative axis I disorders was evaluated by linear regression models. We found a proportion of 18.8% dissociative disorders (dissociative amnesia=0%, dissociative fugue=0.6%, depersonalization disorder=4.4%, dissociative identity disorder=7.5%, dissociative disorder-not-otherwise-specified=6.3%) across treatment settings. Adjusted for other axis I disorders, subjects with a comorbid dissociative identity disorder or dissociative disorder-not-otherwise-specified had a median global assessment of functioning score that was 0.86 and 0.88 times, respectively, the score of subjects without a comorbid dissociative disorder. These findings support the hypothesis that complex dissociative disorders, i.e., dissociative identity disorder and dissociative disorder-not-otherwise-specified, contribute to functional impairment above and beyond the impact of co-existing non-dissociative axis I disorders, and that they qualify as "serious mental illness".
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PMID:Global functioning and disability in dissociative disorders. 2257 20

Individuals with dissociative disorders (DDs) suffer from high levels of dissociation as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general distress. No research has investigated how changes in dissociation relate to changes in other symptoms over the course of treatment in patients with DD. Using a prospective, naturalistic design, we collected reports of symptoms from a sample of therapists and their patients diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder or dissociative disorder not otherwise specified who participated in the Treatment Outcome of Patients with Dissociative Disorders study. The patients completed surveys at intake (Time 1) into the study and at 30-month follow-up (Time 4). We found that dissociative symptoms, including amnesia, depersonalization/derealization, and absorption, at the initial assessment of the study ("initial") were related to initial levels of PTSD and general distress and that changes in dissociative symptoms were related to changes in PTSD and general distress. Initial dissociation was a significant predictor of change in dissociation at 30 months when we controlled for length of time for follow-up, length of time practicing therapy, and length of time treating dissociative patients. Our results suggest that a reduction in dissociative symptoms in DD patients is associated with reductions in the overall severity of dissociative, posttraumatic stress, and distress symptoms.
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PMID:What contributes to predicting change in the treatment of dissociation: initial levels of dissociation, PTSD, or overall distress? 2362 81

Depersonalization/derealization disorder is characterized by depersonalization often co-occurring with derealization in the absence of significant psychosis, memory, or identity disturbance. Depersonalization/derealization is categorized as one of the dissociative disorders, which also includes dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder, and forms of dissociative disorder not otherwise specified. Although these disorders may be under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed, many persons with psychiatric illness who have experienced trauma report symptoms consistent with dissociative disorders. There are limited scientific data on prevalence of depersonalization/derealization disorder specifically. This paper reviews clinical, phenomenological and epidemiological information regarding diagnosis and treatment of dissociative disorders in general, and illustrates common presenting histories of persons with derealization/depersonalization disorder utilizing composite cases. The clinical vignettes focus on recommended psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy interventions as part of a comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment plan for these individuals.
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PMID:STRESS AND TRAUMA: Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy for Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder. 2533 44


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