Risk factors in the early family life of patients suffering from dissociative disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that not only intrafamiliar childhood abuses inflicted to the patient, but also major losses or other severe life events suffered by the mother within 2 years of patient's birth, are risk factors for the development of dissociative disorders (DDs).


METHODS
A multicentric case-control study of 52 cases and 146 controls.


RESULTS
We estimated a crude odds ratio (OR) of 2.6 (adjusted 1.9) for mothers' losses or other severe life events experienced within 2 years of patient's birth, and a crude OR of 7.6 (adjusted 7.2) for patient's early traumatic experiences.


CONCLUSIONS
Mother's losses or other severe life events within 2 years of patient's birth and patient's traumatic experiences during childhood are risk factors for the development of dissociative disorders. A possible explanation of these findings is that disorganized or insecure attachment may increase susceptibility to traumatic experiences and propensity to dissociation in adult life.
Pasquini
P
P
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Psychology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy. p.pasquini@idi.it
Liotti
G
G
Mazzotti
E
E
Fassone
G
G
Picardi
A
A
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors