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Cited by 104Psychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsMental Health and PsychiatryPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

The Classification of Hysteria and Related Disorders: Historical and Phenomenological Considerations

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North, Carol·2015·Behavioral Sciences
DOI 10.3390/bs5040496PMC PMC4695775
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Abstract

This article examines the history of the conceptualization of dissociative, conversion, and somatoform syndromes in relation to one another, chronicles efforts to classify these and other phenomenologically-related psychopathology in the American diagnostic system for mental disorders, and traces the subsequent divergence in opinions of dissenting sectors on classification of these disorders. This article then considers the extensive phenomenological overlap across these disorders in empirical research, and from this foundation presents a new model for the conceptualization of these disorders. The classification of disorders formerly known as hysteria and phenomenologically-related syndromes has long been contentious and unsettled. Examination of the long history of the conceptual difficulties, which remain inherent in existing classification schemes for these disorders, can help to address the continuing controversy. This review clarifies the need for a major conceptual revision of the current classification of these disorders. A new phenomenologically-based classification scheme for these disorders is proposed that is more compatible with the agnostic and atheoretical approach to diagnosis of mental disorders used by the current classification system.

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  • DID is conceptualized as a severe, trauma-based disruption in the integrative functions of identity, memory, cognition, affect, and self-perception.

    “Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is conceptualized as a severe, trauma -based disruption in the integrative functions of identity, memory, cognition, affect, and self -perception (North, 2015; Rutkofsky et al. 2017).”

    From Examining the linguistic and behavioural patterns of gender identity in women with dissociative identity disorder (2025) · cites this paper as North, 2015

    Section 3 reports that DSM-5 describes dissociative disorders as impairments in the integration of memory, identity, emotion, perception and other functions; it also identifies DID as a dissociative disorder. That supports the disruption aspect, but the passage describes the category generally, not DID specifically, and does not characterize DID as trauma-based or severe. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. [9]Abse D.W. Multiple personality Hysteria Roy A. Wiley New York, NY, USA 1982 165 184
  2. [13]Decker H.S. The lure of nonmaterialism in materialist Europe: Investigations of dissociative phenomena, 1880–1915 Split Minds/Split Brains: Historical and Current Perspectives Quen J.M. New York University Press New York, NY, USA 1986 31 62
  3. [17]North C.S. Yutzy S.H. Somatization disorder (hysteria) Goodwin and Guze’s Psychiatric Diagnosis 6th ed. Oxford University Press New York, NY, USA 2010 207 226
  4. [37]Breuer J. The case of Anna O Studies in Hysteria Breuer J. Freud S. Brill A.A. Beacon Press Boston, MA, USA 1950 21 47
  5. [62]American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th ed. American Psychiatric Association Press Washington, DC, USA 1994
  6. [75]Nemiah J.C. Dissociation, conversion, and somatization American Psychiatric Association Review of Psychiatry American Psychiatric Association Washington, DC, USA 1991 Volume 10 248 260
  7. [100]North C.S. Yutzy S.H. Borderline personality disorder Goodwin & Guze’s Psychiatric Diagnosis 6th ed. Oxford University Press New York, NY, USA 2010 245 272

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Authors
North, C.
Affiliations
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
North, Carol
ORCID
North, Carol
Venue
Behavioral Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2015-11-06
Volume
5
Issue
4
Pages
496-517
ISSN
2076-328X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/bs5040496
PMC
PMC4695775
OpenAlex
W2163498737
Cited by
104
References
82
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1
FWCI
2.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behavioral Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
hysteria, dissociative disorders, conversion disorder, somatoform disorders, psychiatric classification, DSM, history of hysteria, conceptual model

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