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Dissociative symptoms are common among

individuals with depression, study finds
by Emily Manis — November 25, 2022 in Depression

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 Dissociative symptoms are common

“Dissociating” has become an internet buzzword, but what does it mean
 among individuals with depression,
and how common is it really? A study published in the Journal of study finds
Psychiatric Research suggests that this mental disconnect may be very

common among people with depressive symptoms.  New research pinpoints why makeup
makes female faces look more
 attractive
Dissociation is a word used to describe a mental detachment or
separation. It is a popular word on social media now, and it can be used to
  Beware of “phone snubbing”:
describe normal forgetfulness, daydreaming, or absent-mindedness. It Research reveals just how serious
 also has a pathological definition, which can include amnesia, hearing phubbing can be
voices, flashbacks, derealization, depersonalization, identity fragmentation
 Amygdala connectivity predicts
 and more. ketamine treatment response among
patients with anxious depression

 A new study says time spent with dogs
 increases brain activity in the
prefrontal cortex
These symptoms can be associated with experiencing trauma or
significant stress. Depression, which many people suffer from and can be  Highly ruminative individuals with
very difficult to treat, can encompass these pathological dissociative depression exhibit abnormalities in the
neural processing of gastric
symptoms as well. This study sought to explore the relationships between
interoception
dissociative symptoms, depression, trauma, and other potential mediating
factors.

Hong Wang Fung and colleagues utilized 410 adult participants with self-
reported clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms. Participants
were recruited online and completed their survey on the web. Measures
included questionnaires regarding sociodemographic information,
depression symptoms, dissociative symptoms, trauma experiences,
interpersonal stress, family support, and perceived benefits of psychiatric
medication.

Results showed that the majority of participants reported experiencing

clinically significant levels of dissociative symptoms. Some dissociative
symptoms, such as disengagement and depersonalization, were very
common and were found in over 70% of participants, while others, such
as identity dissociation, were much rarer. This study found differences
between participants who showed high versus low levels of dissociative
symptoms.

Participants reporting higher levels of dissociation also reported higher

levels of childhood and adulthood trauma, interpersonal stress, PTSD
symptoms, and depressive symptoms. This leads to the idea that
dissociative symptoms could potentially be one reason that depression
can be difficult to treat. Additionally, emotional constriction, a dissociative
symptom, was found to be related to decreased perceived benefits of
psychiatric medication, which also has treatment implications.

This study took strides into better understanding the prevalence of

dissociative symptoms in people with depression. Despite this, there are
RECENT
limitations to note. One such limitation is that the sample was recruited
online and was not a clinical sample. With self-report symptoms, it is
 Dissociative symptoms are common
difficult to say if all participants would reach diagnostic criteria for among individuals with depression,
depression or dissociative symptoms. Additionally, people going through study finds
more severe mental health problems were excluded, and due to the
distressing nature of dissociative symptomology, it is possible this limited  Eye-tracking study suggests that
negative comments on social media
generalizability.
are more attention-grabbing than
positive comments

 New research pinpoints why makeup

makes female faces look more
attractive
“This study contributes to the literature by systematically investigating the
prevalence and correlates of dissociative symptoms in a sample of people  Amygdala connectivity predicts
with depressive symptoms,” the researchers concluded. “Dissociative ketamine treatment response among
patients with anxious depression
symptoms were positively correlated with trauma, stress and trauma-
related symptoms in our sample. People with depression should be  Beware of “phone snubbing”:
screened for dissociative symptoms so as to ensure timely interventions Research reveals just how serious
for addressing trauma and dissociation and their related symptoms as phubbing can be

needed.”

The study, “Prevalence and correlates of dissociative symptoms among

people with depression“, was authored by Hong Wang Fung, Wai Tong
Chien, Stanley Kam Ki Lam, Colin A. Ross.
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