Dissociative experiences of Vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder

Interest in dissociation has been renewed, and its relationship to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is especially intriguing. In this study 57 consecutively admitted chronic, combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder sufferers were grouped by scores on a dissociative scale (Dissociative Experiences Scale). The three groups (high, medium, and low) were compared on personality measures (MMPI basic scales and subscales, and Millon's MCMI), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder measures, and a psychophysiological index of heart rate under baseline trauma conditions. The results showed that the survivors with more dissociative experiences show distinctive and higher symptom levels - excessive fearfulness, symptoms of strange experiences, and high tonic psychophysiological states - as well as greater severity of ratings of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (on the Mississippi Scale). The discussion addressed the possible role of dissociation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.