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A Network Approach to Studying the Associations Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Dissociative Experiences
Author(s) -
Cramer Angélique O. J.,
Leertouwer IJsbrand,
Lanius R.,
Frewen Paul
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.22488
Subject(s) - derealization , dissociative , depersonalization , posttraumatic stress , psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , dissociative disorders , association (psychology) , cross sectional study , medicine , psychotherapist , emotional exhaustion , burnout , pathology
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of a dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (D‐PTSD), characterized by experiences of depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR), among individuals with PTSD. Little is known, however, about how experiences of DP and/or DR are associated with the experience of other PTSD symptoms. The central aim of the present paper was to explore the associations among DP, DR, and other PTSD symptoms by means of a network analysis of cross‐sectional data for 557 participants whose overall self‐reported PTSD symptom severity warranted a probable PTSD diagnosis. Three notable findings emerged: (a) a strong association between DP and DR, (b) the identification of DP as the most central symptom in the network, and (c) the discovery that clusters of symptoms in the network were roughly consistent with DSM‐5 PTSD criteria. We discuss these findings in light of some considerations, including the nature of our sample and the limits of interpreting cross‐sectional network models.