Personality Factors Associated With Dissociation: Temperament, Defenses, and Cognitive Schemata
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate temperamental, psychodynamic, and cognitive factors associated with dissociation. METHOD: Fifty-three subjects with DSM-IV-defined depersonalization disorder and 22 healthy comparison subjects were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Defense Style Questionnaire, and the Schema Questionnaire. RESULTS: Subjects with depersonalization disorder demonstrated significantly greater harm-avoidant temperament, immature defenses, and over-connection and disconnection cognitive schemata than comparison subjects. Within the group of subjects with depersonalization disorder, dissociation scores significantly correlated with the same variables. CONCLUSIONS: Particular personality factors may render individuals more vulnerable to dissociative symptoms. Risk factors associated with dissociative disorders merit further study.
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Etiological research consistently implicates chronic childhood trauma, particularly extreme bullying or sexual abuse, as the primary causal factor of DID.
“Etiological research, grounded in DSM -IV criteria, consistently implicates chronic childhood trauma, particularly extreme bullying or sexual abuse, as the primary causal factor (Simeon et al. 2002).”
From Examining the linguistic and behavioural patterns of gender identity in women with dissociative identity disorder (2025) · cites this paper as Simeon et al. 2002
95% of children who later developed multiple identity states had experienced sexual trauma.
“Furthermore, Simeon and colleagues found that 95% of children who later developed multiple identity states had experienced sexual trauma, a replication evident across diverse cultural contexts (Xiao et al. 2006)”
From Examining the linguistic and behavioural patterns of gender identity in women with dissociative identity disorder (2025) · cites this paper as Simeon et al. 2002
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“Method: Fifty-three subjects with DSM-IV-defined depersonalization disorder and 22 healthy comparison subjects were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Defense Style Questionnaire, and the Schema Questionnaire.”
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“Etiological research, grounded in DSM ‐ IV criteria, consistently implicates chronic childhood trauma, particularly extreme bullying or sexual abuse, as the primary causal factor (Simeon et al. 2002).”
- Authors
- Simeon, D., Guralnik, O., Knutelska, M., & Schmeidler, J.
- Affiliations
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
- ORCID
- Schmeidler, James
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 2002-03-01
- Volume
- 159
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 489-491
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W2170167610
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 1.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R29MH055582, MH055582)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- dissociation, depersonalization disorder, defense mechanisms, cognitive schemas, personality vulnerability, psychodynamic factors
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cognition, Defense Mechanisms, Depersonalization, Dissociative Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Psychological, Personality Inventory, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Temperament
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