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Trauma‐related dissociative states and long‐term psychopathology in posttraumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Bremner J. Douglas,
Brett Elizabeth
Publication year - 1997
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.2490100105
Subject(s) - dissociative , psychopathology , dissociative disorders , psychology , dissociation (chemistry) , psychiatry , anxiety disorder , posttraumatic stress , clinical psychology , traumatic stress , dissociative experiences scale , anxiety , cognition , chemistry , schizotypy
Dissociative responses to trauma have been hypothesized to be associated with long‐term increases in psychopathology. The purpose of this study was to examine dissociative responses to premilitary, combat‐related and postmilitary traumatic events and long‐term psychopathology in Vietnam combat veterans with ( n = 34) and without ( n = 28) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD patients reported higher levels of dissociative states at the time of combat‐related traumatic events than non‐PTSD patients. Higher levels of dissociative states persisted in PTSD patients in the form of higher levels of dissociative states in response to postmilitary traumatic events. In addition, dissociative responses to combat trauma were associated with higher long‐term general dissociative symptomatology as measured by scores on the Dissociative Experience Scale, as well as increases in the number of flashbacks since the time of the war. These findings are consistent with previous formulations that dissociation in the face of trauma is a marker of long‐term psychopathology.