Dissociative Disorders in Women

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Turkish women: 18.3% lifetime any DD; DID 1.1%
Is it more common among women? Women are diagnosed with DID much more often clinically, but population-level pathological dissociation does not consistently show a female excess
Are women at higher risk? Trauma exposure, especially chronic interpersonal trauma, strongly relevant
How much higher is the risk? No reliable female:male RR for DD overall
How often can it be missed? Very High
Does it show up differently among women? Somewhat
How might it look different? Amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, identity discontinuity may be misattributed to PTSD/BPD/anxiety
What commonly occurs alongside it? PTSD/CPTSD; depression; anxiety; BPD; somatic symptoms
What can it be confused with? PTSD/CPTSD; BPD; psychotic disorders; panic; substance effects
Common screening tool DES-II — Dissociative Experiences Scale-II
Separate screening tool for women None
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