Clinical trial NCT01388140: Psychopathology of Dissociative Disorders
Official title: A Psychopathological Study of Dissociative Disorders in Psychiatric Inpatients at an Acute Stage
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Conditions: Dissociative Disorders
Keywords: dissociation
psychosis
trauma
parenting
executive functions
Lead sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2011-07-06
Enrollment: 150
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Maximum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: psychiatric inpatients in a acute stage

Brief summary: The goal of the project is to investigate the prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric inpatients in Taiwan. Relevant clinical issues, including common psychiatric comorbidity (e.g., positive psychotic symptoms), associated psychosocial factors (e.g., negative life events, perceived parenting style), and neuro-cognitive underpinning (e.g., executive functions) were also targeted. Standardized interview schedules, self-report scales, and cognitive tasks will be applied. The investigators hypothesized that dissociative disorders would be associated with positive psychotic symptoms, a history of early interpersonal adversity, and enhanced executive functions.

Detailed description: Though formally included in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980, dissociation had once been considered as a rare psychiatric disturbance. With standardized structured interview, however, recent empirical studies showed that in average 9 percent of participants in general population, 10 percent in psychiatric outpatients, and 15 percent in psychiatric inpatients receive the diagnosis of a dissociative disorder. In Taiwan few attempts have been made for systematic investigation of dissociative disorders. Little has been known about the characteristics, prevalence, and associated features of Taiwanese patients with a dissociative disorder. The goal of the project is to investigate the prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric inpatients in Taiwan. Relevant clinical issues, including common psychiatric comorbidity (e.g., positive psychotic symptoms), associated psychosocial factors (e.g., negative life events, perceived parenting style), and neuro-cognitive underpinning (e.g., executive functions) were also targeted. Standardized interview schedules, self-report scales, and cognitive tasks will be applied and the assessment will be held by the licensed clinical psychologist who receive training on the assessment and treatment of dissociative disorders. The results may enhance the understanding about the clinical features of dissociative disorders in Taiwan.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* being stable and appropriate for interviews

Exclusion Criteria:

* with organic syndromes
* mentally retarded (FIQ \<80)
* cannot communicate in Mandarin Chinese

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Taipei
country: Taiwan
facility: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University
Study officials:
affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital
name: Hai-Gwo Hwu, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Xiao Z, Yan H, Wang Z, Zou Z, Xu Y, Chen J, Zhang H, Ross CA, Keyes BB. Trauma and dissociation in China. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Aug;163(8):1388-91. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.8.1388.
citation: Draijer N, Langeland W. Childhood trauma and perceived parental dysfunction in the etiology of dissociative symptoms in psychiatric inpatients. Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Mar;156(3):379-85. doi: 10.1176/ajp.156.3.379.
citation: Chiu CD, Yeh YY, Huang YM, Wu YC, Chiu YC. The set switching function of nonclinical dissociators under negative emotion. J Abnorm Psychol. 2009 Feb;118(1):214-22. doi: 10.1037/a0014654.