Premium
High psychiatric comorbidity in adolescents with dissociative disorders
Author(s) -
Bozkurt Hasan,
Duzman Mutluer Tuba,
Kose Cigdem,
Zoroglu Salih
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12256
Subject(s) - comorbidity , dissociative , dissociative identity disorder , psychiatry , psychology , dissociative disorders , psychiatric comorbidity , clinical psychology , medicine
Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate psychiatric comorbidity rates and patterns in a sample of clinically referred adolescents diagnosed with dissociative disorders ( DD ) by using a structured interview. Methods All participants completed a comprehensive test battery, which consisted of a questionnaire for sociodemographic data and clinical history, C hild P osttraumatic S tress R eaction I ndex, C hildhood A buse and N eglect Q uestionnaire and the A dolescent D issociative E xperiences S cale. Diagnosis was made by the S tructured C linical I nterview for DSM‐IV D issociative D isorders. Psychiatric comorbidity was assessed using the S chedule for A ffective D isorders and S chizophrenia for S chool A ge C hildren – P resent and L ifetime V ersion. Results A total of 25 adolescent subjects aged 12–18 years participated in the study. Ten adolescents were diagnosed as having dissociative identity disorder and 15 of them were diagnosed as having dissociative disorder–not otherwise specified based on the S tructured C linical I nterview for DSM‐IV D issociative D isorders findings. Adolescents with dissociative identity disorder were found to have higher scores on the A dolescent D issociative E xperiences S cale and C hild P osttraumatic S tress R eaction I ndex than the dissociative disorder–not otherwise specified group. Sexual and physical abuses were also found to be among the main traumatic events. Incest was reported in six cases of the study sample. All subjects had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were major depressive disorder ( n = 25; 100%) and post‐traumatic stress disorder ( n = 22; 88%). Conclusion High psychiatric comorbidity rates were found in adolescents diagnosed with DD . A prevalent history of abuse and traumatic events was represented. Clinicians should be aware of the impacts of DD on adolescents' mental health.