| The type of dissertation presented herein entails a quantitative study intended to investigate several of the major factors contributing to the development of DID, as well as provide a closer examination of the types and functions of alter personality states. The American Psychiatric Association (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; originally copyrighted in 2000, with the last major text revisions published in May 2003) describes the hallmark of symptoms typically associated with this disorder as including the presence of at least two distinct identities or personality states within a single person. Problems associated with this disorder that provide the foundational reason for this study include all of the following: (1) Individuals with DID tend to routinely lose control over their own actions and behaviors, which tends to create problems in social, occupational, and familial relationships and can be disturbing to the self and others (Bentovin, 2002; Terr, 1994; Thomas, 2003). (2) Loss of awareness bears the inherent risk of exposure to and participation in abusive behaviors, including self-mutilation (Putnam, 1989). (3) DID at its core represents an unhealthy coping mechanism that maintains the victim status and external locus-of-control with all its risks to the self and society. (4) Empirical research regarding a possible association between the presence and frequency of certain maltreatment-associated factors and the development of DID has been scarce. The DSM-IV-TR (2000) reports that, on the average, clients spend seven years in therapy before receiving a diagnosis of DID. However, if effect differences exit, clinicians' awareness of them may lead to increased sensitivity for and faster diagnosis of DID in a client. (5) The longer it takes for DID clients to attain the correct diagnosis, the longer they live with heightened risks toward the self and others. (6) Prolonged diagnosis creates greater losses in social productivity due to problems associated with failure to maintain awareness and control over one's actions. (7) Up to this point, research on the attributes of alters and their contribution to the maintenance of DID has been limited to clinical observations and is lacking in empirical research (e.g. Putnam et al., 1986; Putnam, 1989; West, 1999). (8) Gaining a better understanding of the alters has the potential to lead to more efficient intervention, faster stabilization and effective functioning for DID clients. (9) More effective treatment approaches will shorten the length DID clients spend in therapy, which decreases the need for financial resources necessary for intervention. (10) Improvements in diagnosis and treatment efficacy will decrease losses in social productivity.;Based on these issues, maximizing empirically-based understanding of the factors contributing to the development and maintenance of DID will provide mental health professionals with the most efficient intervention possible. Therefore, the author of this study hopes to provide the reader with scientific research regarding DID that is focused on factors contributing to the development and the maintenance of DID and the role of alter personality states. The primary purpose of this type of dissertation is to investigate whether DID is associated with particular characteristics surrounding child maltreatment. I also intend to identify that DID sufferers employ a combination coping style during which the victim uses repression and the reassignment of threatening events to "non-selves," or alter personality states. The use of this coping style contributes to the maintenance of DID. As a secondary purpose, the author intends to identify characteristics of alter personality states as a means to determine commonality among them and increase faster identification of these alters during therapy.;In summary, the intended benefits of this study include the investigation of important aspects of DID for the purpose of gaining better empirical insight into this disorder. Moreover, individuals with DID tend to present with a multitude of symptoms, including chronic depression, anxiety, drug use, borderline personality, and bipolar disorder. This is indicative of the personal toll this disorder exerts on each individual, as well as its adverse impact on society as a whole. In addition, gaining a deeper understanding of the roles alters assume and how these roles contribute to the maintaining of this disorder will, therefore, contribute directly to approaches to therapy and indirectly to an improvement in the quality of life for severely traumatized individuals and the community surrounding them. |
