Exploring cognitive behavioral mechanisms related to dissociation among patients suffering from schizophrenia: A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction

Dissociation is a challenging syndrome present in multiple psychiatric disorders for which no gold standard treatment exists. Recently, some authors have developed a Cognitive Behavioral Model of dissociation, offering new insights for psychotherapy. However, this model has primarily been assessed in patients suffering from PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the relevance of this conceptualization in patients suffering from schizophrenia.

Method

We recruited 20 patients (15 men) suffering from schizophrenia. After providing consent, they completed self-reported questionnaires assessing dissociation, PTSD, beliefs about emotion, beliefs about dissociation, mindfulness abilities, and emotion regulation. Then, they responded to three open-ended questions exploring the triggers of dissociation and strategies used to counteract it.

Results

We found a low prevalence of the different cognitive-behavioral mechanisms related to dissociation in our sample. However, we found significant relationships between these mechanisms and dissociative symptoms. This relationship was also identified in the qualitative analysis.

Conclusion

The present results offer primary data supporting the relevance of the cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of dissociation in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Further studies should be conducted with larger samples and include additional variables to enhance the understanding of dissociation in this population.