Use of the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV dissociative disorders for systematic assessment of dissociative symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder

Objective: This study compared dissociative symptom areas in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in Vietnam combat veterans without PTSD. Method: The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D) was used to compare dissociative symptoms in 40 Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD and 15 Vietnam combat veterans without PTSD. The SCID-D yields a total score and scores in five symptom areas: amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration. Results: The PTSD patients had more severe dissociative symptoms in each of the five symptom areas of the SCID-D and higher total symptom scores. Amnesia was the symptom area with the greatest difference in scores between the PTSD patients (mean=3.68, SD= 0.73) and the non-PTSD veterans (mean=1.06, SD=0.26). Conclusions: The finding of higher levels of dissociative symptoms in Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD than in Vietnam veterans without PTSD is consistent with a level of dissociative symptoms in PTSD similar to that in dissociative disorders.