Dissociative identity precipitated by emergence from general anesthesia: A case report and analytical framework
Psychiatry Research Case Reports July 26, 2023 Gregory W. Kirschen, Mary E. Shorey, Joan C. Han et al.
A woman with a history of childhood sexual abuse and a past suicide attempt developed a dissociative identity episode upon emerging from anesthesia. The episode lasted 90 minutes and resolved on its own; she was discharged safely two days later. This case suggests that anesthesia can be a trigger for dissociative identity disorder (DID) in vulnerable individuals, adding to known psychosocial precipitants. The authors propose a mechanism involving anesthesia's effects on functional brain connectivity as a unifying hypothesis.