Dissociative Experiences Scale
The Dissociative Experiences Scale is a clinical screening tool that assesses dissociation in patients. Download this PDF to evaluate dissociative tendencies.
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What are dissociative disorders?
Dissociative disorders are a group of conditions characterized by disruptions or breakdowns in various aspects of memory, awareness, identity, and perception. These disorders involve a disconnect between thoughts, emotions, memories, behaviors, and sense of self. The key feature of dissociative disorders is the presence of dissociative symptoms, which can range from mild to severe.
Dissociative disorders can develop as a coping mechanism in response to traumatic or highly stressful experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or other forms of trauma. However, it's important to note that not all individuals who experience trauma develop dissociative disorders.
The most well-known dissociative disorder is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Other dissociative disorders include Dissociative Amnesia, Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder, and Other Specified Dissociative Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Healthcare practitioners need to be aware of and recognize the signs and symptoms of dissociative disorders, as they can have a significant impact on an individual's daily functioning and well-being.
What are the symptoms of dissociation?
Dissociative symptoms may include the following:
- Amnesia or memory gaps: Individuals may experience periods of time where they cannot remember a past event or other important events.
- Depersonalization: Feeling detached from one's own thoughts, feelings, or body with events happening outside oneself. This can cause one to ignore pain and other bodily sensations, affecting how one functions in daily life.
- Derealization: One might suddenly realize how they perceive the world around them as unreal, dreamlike, or distorted.
- Identity confusion or fragmentation: Dissociative phenomena involve experiencing a disruption in one's sense of identity or having distinct states differently from how one typically thinks or behaves.
- Dissociative fugue: Temporarily losing one's sense of personal identity and impulsively wandering or traveling away from home.
Dissociative Experiences Scale Template
Dissociative Experiences Scale Example
What is the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES)?
The Dissociative Experiences Scale or the Dissociative Experiences Scale II (DES II) is a widely used self-report measure designed to assess the presence and severity of dissociative experiences. It is a valuable tool for screening and identifying individuals experiencing dissociative symptoms or disorders.
The DES consists of 28 items that describe various dissociative experiences, such as feeling detached from one’s body, experiencing memory gaps, and having a sense of watching oneself from outside. Individuals rate the frequency of these experiences on a scale from 0 (never) to 100 (always) (Bernstein & Putnam, 1986).
The DES has been extensively validated and used in normal and clinical populations, making it a reliable and widely recognized measure for dissociation (Trujillo et al., 2022).
In clinical settings, this dissociation scale can be a valuable screening tool for dissociative disorders and can help inform treatment planning and monitoring. This can be integrated into a structured clinical interview. It can also be used in research to investigate the relationship between dissociation and various mental health conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorder, substance use disorders, and other psychiatric disorders. This can also rule out symptoms that might not meet the full criteria for a disorder considered other specified dissociative disorder.
What is the Brief Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-B)?
The Brief Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-B) is a shortened version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale, a widely used self-report measure designed to assess dissociative experiences. Like the DES, the DES-B is a structured clinical interview specifically tailored to assess moderately severe types of dissociative symptoms in both clinical and community samples. It is also used in psychiatric care, clinical interviews, and research settings to identify individuals who may be experiencing trauma-related dissociation or other dissociative symptoms.
The DES-B's psychometric properties indicate strong reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for measuring dissociation across diverse clinical and non-clinical populations. Analyses have revealed a robust factor structure and measurement invariance across ethnoracial groups, indicating its applicability in assessing dissociative and depressive symptoms in racially diverse clinical populations.
When it comes to its usefulness, due to the smaller number of items compared to the full DES, the DES-B is much quicker and easier to administer. Healthcare professionals may consider this test as an alternative to the DES, especially when time is limited, such as in clinical settings or large-scale research studies.
How to use this dissociative scale
Here's how to use this scale:
Step 1: Obtain and administer the DES
Once the template is saved on your computer or tablet, it can be administered digitally or printed. This 28-item self-report measure asks individuals to rate the frequency of various dissociative experiences on a scale from 0 (never) to 100 (always).
Step 2: Compute and interpret the scores
Sum the scores for each item and divide by 28 to obtain a mean score ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a greater frequency and intensity of dissociative experiences.
Step 3: Integrate with other assessments
The DES should not be used as a standalone diagnostic tool. Combine the DES results with a comprehensive clinical interview, structured diagnostic interviews (e.g., SCID-D), and collateral information.
Step 4: Develop and monitor treatment
If dissociative symptoms or disorders are present, collaborate with the client to develop an appropriate treatment plan. Periodically re-administer the DES to monitor changes in dissociative symptoms over the course of treatment.
Scoring and interpretation
The DES consists of 28 items rated on a scale from 0 (never) to 100 (always). To calculate the total score, add up the scores for all 28 items and divide by 28. This will give you a mean score ranging from 0 to 100.
While there is no definitive cut-off score, research suggests that scores above 20 generally indicate clinically significant dissociative experiences. Higher scores indicate a greater frequency and intensity of dissociative symptoms (Murray, 2014).
When interpreting DES total scores, it's essential to consider the individual's overall clinical presentation, including their history, symptoms, and other relevant factors. The DES should be used in conjunction with other assessments, such as structured clinical interviews, collateral information from family or friends, and other relevant diagnostic measures.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Pearson.
Bernstein, E. M., & Putnam, F. W. (1986). Development, reliability, and validity of a dissociation scale. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174(12), 727–735. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198612000-00004
Murray, K. (2014). Scoring the Dissociative Experiences Scale – DES (and DES-II). https://katymurraymsw.com/images/Murray_Scoring-the-DES_4_2015.pdf
Trujillo, M., Brown, A., Watson, D., Croft-Caderao, K., & Chmielewski, M. (2022). The Dissociative Experiences Scale: An empirical evaluation of long-standing concerns. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000334
Commonly asked questions
Dissociation is typically measured using standardized scales such as the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). The DES is a self-report instrument that assesses the frequency and intensity of dissociative symptoms, including depersonalization, derealization, and amnesia. The DES is widely used in both clinical and non-clinical samples to evaluate dissociative experiences and identify potential dissociative disorders.
The stages of dissociation are not strictly defined but can be broadly categorized into three stages: (1) mild dissociation, characterized by brief episodes of depersonalization or derealization; (2) moderate dissociation, marked by increased frequency and duration of dissociative episodes; and (3) severe dissociation, characterized by significant impairment in daily functioning and a high frequency of dissociative episodes.
A normal score for the DES typically falls below 20, indicating minimal dissociative symptoms. Scores above 20 are generally considered indicative of dissociative disorders, such as dissociative identity disorder or depersonalization disorder. However, high scores do not necessarily mean a more severe dissociative disorder is present, as the scale measures both normal and pathological dissociation.
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