Psychological Assessment and Diagnosis of DID Diagnosing DID can be a very difficult task, considering most patients with DID have comorbid disorders which can make assessments difficult to complete and interpret. Additionally, assessments used to diagnose DID can cultivate very painful and traumatic memories. These memories may trigger dissociations throughout the administration of the tests, making results difficult to interpret (Brand, Armstrong, & Loewenstein, 2006). Brand, Armstrong, and Loewenstein (2006) have outlined a series of tests to administer in the assessment of an individual, if the clinician suspects he/she may have a diagnosis of DID. The first step in this process is building rapport between the clinician and the patient.
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Objective tests usually have simple true or false questions and yield statistically valid results. Individuals with DID have a hard time completing these type of questions due to their multiple personality states (Brand et al., 2006). However, if the clinician asks the individual to answer what they identify with most of the time, the patient may be able to answer the questions. Although there are no distinct patterns in the results of the MMPI-II in DID patients, there are several scales that are commonly elevated (Brand et al., 2006). Typically, in DID patients the F scale and 8 of the Schizophrenic scale were elevated, which correlate with dissociation and trauma. In addition, the scales correlated with significant childhood trauma tend to be elevated in DID patients (Brand et al., 2006). Clinicians must pay close attention to the subscales when interpreting the test, or the patient could be identified as having sociopathic or schizophrenic tendencies (Brand et al., …show more content…
The etiological theories range from childhood trauma to suggestive therapy. In the 19th century the theories of hysteria and dissociation were combined and expressed through the writing of Janet and Freud. Janet’s dissertation published in 1889 discussed hypnosis and the development of dissociative states (Putnam, 1989). Janet theorized dissociative states manifest when an individual who was born with psychiatric disturbances is exposed to stress (Putnam, 1989). He postulated those predisposed to a “weak mind” could not synthesize stressors into their memory and would therefore dissociate into another stream of consciousness (Bühler & Heim, 2011). Most individuals who had attempted to study the idea of dissociation during Janet’s time believed this phenomenon could occur to anyone who experienced extreme trauma (Putnam, 1989). Although many of Janet’s patients were exposed to trauma, Janet’s theory emphasized an individual must have a “basic disturbance” or some sort of predisposition to a psychiatric disorder (Bulher & Heim,
Objective tests usually have simple true or false questions and yield statistically valid results. Individuals with DID have a hard time completing these type of questions due to their multiple personality states (Brand et al., 2006). However, if the clinician asks the individual to answer what they identify with most of the time, the patient may be able to answer the questions. Although there are no distinct patterns in the results of the MMPI-II in DID patients, there are several scales that are commonly elevated (Brand et al., 2006). Typically, in DID patients the F scale and 8 of the Schizophrenic scale were elevated, which correlate with dissociation and trauma. In addition, the scales correlated with significant childhood trauma tend to be elevated in DID patients (Brand et al., 2006). Clinicians must pay close attention to the subscales when interpreting the test, or the patient could be identified as having sociopathic or schizophrenic tendencies (Brand et al., …show more content…
The etiological theories range from childhood trauma to suggestive therapy. In the 19th century the theories of hysteria and dissociation were combined and expressed through the writing of Janet and Freud. Janet’s dissertation published in 1889 discussed hypnosis and the development of dissociative states (Putnam, 1989). Janet theorized dissociative states manifest when an individual who was born with psychiatric disturbances is exposed to stress (Putnam, 1989). He postulated those predisposed to a “weak mind” could not synthesize stressors into their memory and would therefore dissociate into another stream of consciousness (Bühler & Heim, 2011). Most individuals who had attempted to study the idea of dissociation during Janet’s time believed this phenomenon could occur to anyone who experienced extreme trauma (Putnam, 1989). Although many of Janet’s patients were exposed to trauma, Janet’s theory emphasized an individual must have a “basic disturbance” or some sort of predisposition to a psychiatric disorder (Bulher & Heim,