Dissociation and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: a pilot examination of a specialized inpatient unit
Frontiers in Psychiatry July 8, 2026 Lotem Zvi, Jonathan E. Handelzalts, Danny Horesh et al.
Women with histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and co-occurring psychiatric disorders admitted to a specialized integrative inpatient unit in Israel showed that dissociative symptoms, particularly maladaptive absorption, were strongly linked to PTSD severity. In a cross-sectional phase with 108 women, all facets of dissociation correlated positively with PTSD symptoms. In a smaller treatment phase with 28 women, PTSD symptoms decreased after the program, and reductions in absorption were tied to improvements in overall PTSD and hyperarousal. The findings suggest dissociation should be a key therapeutic target, though larger controlled trials are needed.