A Review of Dissociative Disorders Treatment Studies
Abstract
This review examines empirical reports of treatment for Dissociative Disorders (DD), including 16 DD treatment outcome studies and 4 case studies that used standardized measures. Collectively, these reports suggest that treatment for DD is associated with decreased symptoms of dissociation, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, distress, and suicidality. Effect sizes, based on pre/post measures, are in the medium to large range across studies. Patients with dissociative disorder who integrated their dissociated self states were found to have reduced symptomatology compared with those who did not integrate. The magnitude of pre/post effect sizes for these DD studies are comparable to pre/post effect sizes in treatment studies of complex PTSD. There are significant methodological limitations in the current DD treatment outcome literature that reduce internal and external validity including regression towards the mean, limited sample sizes, and nonrandomized research designs. Implications for future research and treatment planning for patients suffering from DD are discussed.
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Dissociative identity alteration is not akin to psychosis.
“Dissociative identity alteration is not akin to psychosis [26–30].”
From Treatment of dissociative identity disorder: leveraging neurobiology to optimize success (2024) · cites this paper as [26]
Dissociative identity alteration is not akin to psychosis.
“Dissociative identity alteration is not akin to psychosis [26–30].”
From Treatment of dissociative identity disorder: leveraging neurobiology to optimize success (2024) · cites this paper as [30]
Individuals with DID often are prescribed medications to treat the complex pattern of co-occurring, non-dissociative psychiatric symptoms that often accompany DID.
“To date, there are no randomized, placebo controlled clinical trials of medications to treat DID; however, individuals with DID often are prescribed medications to treat the complex pattern of co-occurring, non-dissociative psychiatric symptoms that often accompany DID [10,104].”
From Treatment of dissociative identity disorder: leveraging neurobiology to optimize success (2024) · cites this paper as [104]
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References 50 · Cited by 209
- Authors
- Brand, B. L., Classen, C. C., McNary, S. W., & Zaveri, P.
- Affiliations
- Towson University (US)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Veterans Health Administration (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brand, Bethany L.
- Venue
- Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease
- Published
- 2009-09
- Volume
- 197
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 646-654
- ISSN
- 0022-3018 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2017249304
- Cited by
- 209
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 7.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- dissociative disorders, dissociation, treatment outcomes, complex PTSD, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidality, dissociative identity disorder, methodological limitations, effect size
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Child, Clinical Trials as Topic, Dissociative Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Patient Care Planning, Psychotherapy, Psychotropic Drugs, Research Design, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Reproducibility of Results, Treatment Outcome, Empirical Research, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
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