Self-States and Dissociation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the psychometric properties of the Dissociation-Integration of Self-States Scale (D-ISS) in a clinical sample
IRAS ID
335221
Contact name
Tess Maguire
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
-Dissociation can be defined as a disconnection between a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of who they are. Dissociation encompasses the feeling of daydreaming or being intensely focused, and distressing experiences of being disconnected from reality. It is these severe states of dissociation which are reflected in the DSM-5 subtypes of dissociative disorders
-The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) is widely considered as a well-established measure of dissociation, designed to screen for dissociative symptoms indicative of a dissociative disorder. However, the DES-II is now thirty years old and has not since been updated to include more recent research and understanding of dissociation. Furthermore, the DES-II does not have a consistent subscale structure, potentially overlooking the complexity of dissociation, by simply providing one overall score.
-Kennedy et al. (2004) have identified a cognitive-behavioural model of dissociation, based on Beck's cognitive theory of personality and psychopathology. This theoretically driven model describes dissociation occurring at three different 'levels' of information processing. Kennedy et al. developed the Wessex Dissociation Scale (WDS) to measure these different levels of dissociation, however, they were unable to demonstrate a means of measuring dissociation affecting self-states and personality.
-The purpose of this study is to assess the Dissociation-Integration of Self-States (D-ISS), a new scale for measuring dissociation between ‘self-states’. Psychometric tools such as the D-ISS can aid clinicians in their assessment, formulation, treatment planning across a range of mental health diagnoses. The D-ISS has previously been tested and validated within a non-clinical sample, demonstrating a consistent subscale structure (Lord et al., 2023).
-Early identification of dissociation of self-states would be important when attempting to offer psychological therapy, as this process may underpin a range of potentially debilitating symptoms including amnesia, impulsive behaviours, and personality fragmentation, all of which could present as an additional barrier for patients accessing treatment.
REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
24/WA/0213
Date of REC Opinion
9 Sep 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion