The Sense of Self Over Time: Assessing Diachronicity in Dissociative Identity Disorder, Psychosis and Healthy Comparison Groups.
Martin J Dorahy, Rafaële J C Huntjens, Rosemary J Marsh, Brooke Johnson, Kate Fox, Warwick Middleton
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.620063 via PubMed
Summary
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is characterized by distinct identity states, each with its own sense of self, but whether these states provide a continuous self over time (diachronic unity) had not been studied. This study assessed diachronic disunity in 14 adults with DID (in both adult and child identity states), 19 adults with psychosis, 55 general-population adults, 26 general-population children, and 23 adults imagining themselves as children. Diachronic disunity appeared to some degree in all groups, not only psychiatric samples. DID adults reported more dissociation and self-confusion than psychosis and adult comparison groups but did not differ on the diachronic measure.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 137 |
| Population | Adults with dissociative identity disorder, adults with psychotic illness, general-population adults, general-population children, and adults imagining themselves as children |
| Keywords | Diachronicity Dissociation Dissociative identity disorder Schizophrenia Self |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key finding | Dissociative identity disorder patients in adult or child identity states do not universally experience a consistent sense of self over time, and diachronic disunity is not limited to psychiatric groups. |
Abstract
Dissociative experiences have been associated with diachronic disunity. Yet, this work is in its infancy. Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is characterized by different identity states reporting their own relatively continuous sense of self. The degree to which patients in dissociative identity states experience diachronic unity (i.e., sense of self over time) has not been empirically explored. This study examined the degree to which patients in dissociative identity states experienced diachronic unity. Participants were DID adults (n=14) assessed in adult and child identity states, adults with a psychotic illness (n=19), adults from the general population (n=55), children from the general population (n=26) and adults imagining themselves as children (n=23). They completed the Diachronic Disunity Scale (DDS), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS). Diachronic disunity was not limited to psychiatric groups, but evident to some degree in all adult and child samples. The DID adult sample experienced more dissociation and self-confusion than the psychosis and adult comparison groups, but did not differ on the diachronic measure. DID patients in their child identity states and child comparisons showed disunity and were significantly different from child simulators, who showed relatively more unity. Results suggest that DID patients in either adult or child dissociative identity states, like those in other samples, do not universally experience themselves as having a consistent sense of self over time.