Development and the fragmented self: Longitudinal study of dissociative symptomatology in a nonclinical sample

Abstract

Dissociative behaviors and their relation to both the self and self-organization were examined using the developmental psychopathology perspective in a prospective longitudinal study of high-risk children. Participants were 168 young adults (n = 79 females, n = 89 males, age = 18–19 years) considered high-risk for poor developmental outcomes at birth due to poverty. The present study investigated whether trauma, sense of self, quality of early mother–child relationship, temperament, and intelligence were related to dissociative symptomatology measured at four times across 19 years. Findings were (a) age of onset, chronicity and severity of trauma were highly correlated and predicted level of dissociation; (b) both the avoidant and disorganized patterns of attachment were strong predictors of dissociation; (c) dissociation in childhood may be a more normative response to disruption and stress, while dissociation in adolescence and young adulthood may be more indicative of psychopathology; (d) preliminary support was found for a model proposed by G. Liotti that links disorganized attachment, later trauma, and dissociation in adulthood; and (e) strong support was found for N. Waller, F. W. Putnam, and E. B. Carlson's contention that psychopathological dissociation should not be viewed as the top end of a continuum of dissociative symptomatology, but as a separate taxon that represents an extreme deviation from normal development.

Childhood maltreatment in subjects with male-to-female gender identity disorder

“…16,[44][45][46][47][48][49] It has been suggested that the development of dissociation, reflecting severe deficits in the integration of the self, can be an outcome of CM, 50 and severity and chronicity of maltreatment have been found to predict future levels of dissociation. 51 In particular, a meta-analysis, evaluating 26 studies with 2108 subjects involved, reports a positive association between CM and dissociation regardless of the type of abuse. 52 On the other hand, the association between Abbreviation: SRS, sex reassignment surgery.…”

Dissociation and Posttraumatic Symptoms in Maltreated Preschool Children

“…Subscale 2 was developed by Ogawa et al (1997) to assess dissociation using twelve items from the CBCL and the CBCL Teacher Report Form. The authors chose items that corresponded to the CDC, excluding those items related to inappropriate sexual behavior.…”

“…Ogawa, Sroufe, Weinfeld, Carlson, and Egeland (1997) also examined the impact of maltreatment on dissociation over time. Using prospective, longitudinal data from a sample of at-risk children, they found that maltreatment predicted dissociation at all developmental stages, from toddlerhood to adulthood.…”

“…Macfie and colleagues found that maltreated children, particularly those who had been physically or sexually abused, showed more dissociation than nonmaltreated children. Indeed, maltreated children showed a significant increase in dissociation levels over a oneyear period, illustrating the importance of detecting dissociation at an early age.Ogawa, Sroufe, Weinfeld, Carlson, and Egeland (1997) also examined the impact of maltreatment on dissociation over time. Using prospective, longitudinal data from a sample of at-risk children, they found that maltreatment predicted dissociation at all developmental stages, from toddlerhood to adulthood.…”

Dissociative Experience and Cultural Neuroscience: Narrative, Metaphor and Mechanism

“…Authors routinely refer to the "dissociative defense," and to "dissociative coping" responses, or begin their articles with phrases like "it is widely accepted that" or "most theorists agree that" dissociative states are "ways of coping with exceptional situations," or serve "a defensive function against situations of stress" (Collins and French 1998;Terr 1991;Silon 1992;Foa and Hearst-Ikeda 1996;Nijenhuis et al 1998;Ogawa et al 1997;Briere 2006;Briere et al 2005;Simoneti et al 2000;Goodwin and Sachs 1996;Martinez-Taboas and Bernal 2000). Thus, in more recent work, the paradigm is widespread and structures researchers' approaches to dissociation without itself being the topic of empirical research.…”