| A literature review regarding child sexual abuse and dissociative symptoms in children was conducted to determine the impact that undiagnosed and untreated dissociative disorders (DD) had on child development. The study also sought to gain insight into the frequency in which clinicians who worked with this population assessed for DD. This analysis found significant implications for untreated pathological dissociation in sexually abused children, including disrupted attachment, psychopathology, structural abnormalities in the brain, developmental difficulties, as well as other problems. Early diagnosis and treatment of DD in children was found to lead to significantly better treatment outcomes. The review also noted a lack of research regarding DD in children and effective means of treating such disorders. Several of the most commonly used measures of dissociation were reviewed. It was noted that although measures exist to assess children for DD, rarely were they used by clinicians; however, more research should be conducted to ascertain the validity and reliability of these measures. The findings suggest that due to the difficulty in assessing and diagnosing children with DD, these children are often diagnosed and treated for more disorders that occur more commonly in childhood. Lack of adequate clinical training in the presentation of dissociation in children during graduate studies may contribute to the problem. Additionally, the controversy regarding dissociative identity disorder (DID) and the lingering stigma associated with DD may contribute to the lack of assessment and understanding of dissociative symptomology by clinicians. Based on the review of the literature, there are compelling reasons for clinicians working with sexually abused children to assess for dissociative disorders early in treatment.;Keywords: dissociation, dissociative disorders, child sexual abuse, assessment. |
