title: The persistence of folly: a critical examination of dissociative identity disorder. Part I. The excesses of an improbable concept.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the concept of dissociative identity disorder (DID).
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The literature shows that 1) there is no proof for the claim that DID results from childhood trauma; 2) the condition cannot be reliably diagnosed; 3) contrary to theory, DID cases in children are almost never reported; and 4) consistent evidence of blatant iatrogenesis appears in the practices of some of the disorder's proponents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DID is best understood as a culture-bound and often iatrogenic condition.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Ontario, London.
authors.forename: August
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merskey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology