Updates About Assessing Dissociative Clients and Implications for Treatment

Highly dissociative patients often present with an overwhelming array of severe clinical problems. Few clinicians have received systematic training in assessing and treating dissociation, despite prevalence rates of 4% of the U.S. population. Dissociation is often overlooked or misdiagnosed, contributing to prolonged suffering and poor response to treatment. Bethany Brand provides an overview of methods for assessing trauma-related dissociation including self-reported experiences, behavioral observations, validated screening questionnaires, and validated semi-structured interviews. Brand briefly reviews methods for distinguishing trauma-related dissociation from psychotic and characterological presentations, as well as malingered dissociation. She outlines treatment implications for dissociative individuals.

• Identify the prevalence of pathological dissociation in the general population.
• Describe three types of dissociative symptoms.
• Identify two validated measures to aid in the assessment of dissociation.

Bethany Brand, PhD