title: Dissociative experiences and quality of life in patients with non-epileptic attack disorder.
abstract: Dissociative experiences are commonly reported by patients with non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD). This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence and characteristics of dissociative experiences in patients with NEAD and assessed their association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Fifty-three patients diagnosed with NEAD were consecutively recruited (70.0% female, mean age=42 years, 22.0% with comorbid epilepsy) from a specialist neuropsychiatric clinic. Our sample reported high levels of dissociative experiences, with 36.7% of patients scoring ≥30 on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Significant negative correlations were found between total DES scores and HRQoL, as measured by the QOLIE-31 questionnaire (r=-0.64, p<0.001). This association remained significant when accounting for symptoms of depression and anxiety, other psychiatric comorbidities, and attack frequency and severity. These findings suggest a high prevalence of dissociative experiences in this patient population, highlighting the importance of routinely screening patients for dissociative symptoms and their impact on patients' lives.
authors.affiliation: The Michael Trimble Neuropsychiatry Research Group, Department of Neuropsychiatry, BSMHFT and University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Fizzah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Andrea E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Cavanna
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires