TY - JOUR
T1 - Dissociation, abuse and the eating disorders
T2 - Evidence from an Australian population
AU - Brown, Lisa
AU - Russell, Janice
AU - Thornton, Christopher
AU - Dunn, Stewart
PY - 1999/8
Y1 - 1999/8
N2 - Objective: A number of European and Northern American studies have investigated a possible association between dissociative phenomena, eating disorders, child sexual abuse and self-mutilation. However, there has been little confirmation from other countries and cultures, and the Australian experience of these interrelationships has not previously been studied. Method: Dissociative symptomatology and self-reported history of abusive experiences, physical and sexual, were retrospectively studied in a sample of Australian eating disordered patients using a self-report measure, the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q). Results: As hypothesised, dissociative symptoms were particularly frequent in those who reported child and adult sexual abuse and in those who self-mutilated. A correlation between multiple forms of abuse and higher dissociation scores was only partially upheld. Conclusions: Interrelationships between victimisation and dissociation are discussed within the context of current knowledge in the field, and brief suggestions for therapeutic strategies are offered.
AB - Objective: A number of European and Northern American studies have investigated a possible association between dissociative phenomena, eating disorders, child sexual abuse and self-mutilation. However, there has been little confirmation from other countries and cultures, and the Australian experience of these interrelationships has not previously been studied. Method: Dissociative symptomatology and self-reported history of abusive experiences, physical and sexual, were retrospectively studied in a sample of Australian eating disordered patients using a self-report measure, the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q). Results: As hypothesised, dissociative symptoms were particularly frequent in those who reported child and adult sexual abuse and in those who self-mutilated. A correlation between multiple forms of abuse and higher dissociation scores was only partially upheld. Conclusions: Interrelationships between victimisation and dissociation are discussed within the context of current knowledge in the field, and brief suggestions for therapeutic strategies are offered.
KW - Child sexual abuse
KW - Dissociation
KW - Eating disorders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032764284&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1440-1614.1999.00589.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1440-1614.1999.00589.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 10483846
AN - SCOPUS:0032764284
SN - 0004-8674
VL - 33
SP - 521
EP - 528
JO - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -