Assessment of Dissociation 1 CE-Assessment of Dissociation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Eve Carlson presented an overview of how to conceptualize and assess dissociative symptoms and related experiences. She defined dissociation as a loss of access to or control over mental processes normally available to awareness, and argued that it substantially overlaps with trauma-related symptoms rather than forming a wholly separate phenomenon. Dissociation can include depersonalization, derealization, memory or awareness gaps, sensory misperceptions, and re-experiencing; absorption and imaginative involvement may be related but can also be nonclinical.<br /><br />Drawing on research with trauma survivors, Carlson described a strong relationship between dissociation and negative affect, trauma exposure, and PTSD symptoms. She emphasized that dissociation is not limited to a distinct PTSD subtype. Emotional overwhelm and difficulty managing emotion may contribute to dissociative experiences, sometimes beginning in early childhood.<br /><br />The presentation reviewed assessment tools, including the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Dissociative Symptom Scale (DSS), child and adolescent measures, the Multiscale Dissociation Inventory, the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation, and clinician-administered PTSD measures. Carlson noted limitations of some instruments and recommended choosing measures suited to the population and purpose. She cautioned that validity and reliability apply to score interpretations in specific populations and uses, not to a measure universally.<br /><br />In discussion, she highlighted the need to distinguish dissociation from attention difficulties, particularly in children, and advised seeking support when a child shows troubling symptoms.

Keywords

dissociation

trauma-related symptoms

depersonalization

derealization

PTSD

negative affect

dissociative experiences scale

assessment tools

child dissociation

emotional overwhelm