Dissociation as a Mediator Between Childhood Abuse and Hallucinations: An Exploratory Investigation Using Dissociative Identity Disorder and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Type of content
Journal Article
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
eng
Date
2022
Authors
Nesbit A
Dorahy, Martin
Palmer R
Middleton W
Seager L
Hanna D
Abstract

Previous research has shown that the relationship between childhood abuse and the presence of auditory hallucinations is mediated by dissociation, specifically depersonalization and absorption. The current study assessed dissociation as a mediator of the relationship between childhood abuse and auditory hallucination frequency, characteristics and associated distress in those with dissociative identity disorder (DID; n = 50) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD; n = 49). It also tested whether dissociation mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and the presence of non-auditory hallucinations. Participants completed measures of childhood abuse, dissociation, auditory hallucination frequency, characteristics, distress, and non-auditory hallucinations. With distress associated with auditory hallucinations as the outcome, depersonalization was a mediator in the DID group. For non-auditory hallucinations, in the DID group depersonalization and amnesia were mediators between childhood abuse and the presence of visual, tactile and olfactory hallucinations. In the SSD group absorption mediated between childhood abuse and visual, olfactory and gustatory hallucinations. Results suggest that the presence of non-auditory hallucinations in DID and SSD are associated with different dissociative experiences.

Description
Citation
Nesbit A, Dorahy MJ, Palmer R, Middleton W, Seager L, Hanna D (2022). Dissociation as a Mediator Between Childhood Abuse and Hallucinations: An Exploratory Investigation Using Dissociative Identity Disorder and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. 23(5). 521-538.
Keywords
Humans, Hallucinations, Dissociative Disorders, Schizophrenia, Child Abuse, Child, Dissociative Identity Disorder, trauma, dissociation, auditory hallucinations, non-auditory hallucination
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
52 - Psychology::5203 - Clinical and health psychology::520302 - Clinical psychology
52 - Psychology::5204 - Cognitive and computational psychology::520401 - Cognition
52 - Psychology::5201 - Applied and developmental psychology::520101 - Child and adolescent development
52 - Psychology::5205 - Social and personality psychology::520503 - Personality and individual differences
32 - Biomedical and clinical sciences::3202 - Clinical sciences::320221 - Psychiatry (incl. psychotherapy)
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All rights reserved unless otherwise stated