Exploring DPD: subjective experiences of onset & impact
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Depersonalisation Disorder: subjective experiences of onset of DPD, and the impact on attitudes, experiences, and beliefs surrounding the disorder and treatment
IRAS ID
291426
Contact name
Natalie Lim Yi Xi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
Depersonalisation Disorder (DPD) is the chronic and continuous suffering of depersonalisation (DP). DP is often described as experiencing feelings of unreality and detachment from oneself, usually resulting in feeling emotionally numb and having strange perceptions of self and/or body amongst other symptoms. It is often accompanied by derealisation, in which the sense of detachment and unreality is related to the external environment.
DPD has long been associated with other dissociative disorders, a category with strong links to childhood trauma and abuse. However, research have not been able provide strong evidence linking more common childhood trauma, like physical and sexual abuse, with DPD, although there is some evidence relating emotional abuse to the disorder. More recently, research evidence seems to point towards DPD being more similar to an anxiety disorder, as depersonalisation is viewed as a maladaptive defence mechanism against overwhelming emotions and/or anxiety, leading to the shutting down of emotions, affect and/or body. As people negatively interpret feelings of depersonalisation, and inadvertently lead to feeling more anxiety, the cycle of depersonalisation and anxiety becomes maintained and chronic. . There is also some evidence to suggest that a significant minority of DPD patients believe their symptoms are triggered by substance misuse, most notably negative experiences using cannabis. These provide an inconsistent explanation for what causes DPD, and may indicate the possibility of subgroups within the disorder. There is also a research gap in failing to systematically explore attributions from the perspective of people with DP themselves.
As such, this study aims to explore and explain differences in patients’ subjective attributions to onset of DPD, and how that affected their attitudes, experiences and beliefs surrounding DPD and treatment.REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0573
Date of REC Opinion
7 Oct 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion