What are dissociative disorders?

Dissociative disorders are disorders where there is a disruption of the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity or perception of the environment.

The cause of dissociative disorders is not known but it is thought that they develop as a protection against remembering life-threatening traumatic life events and those threatening to bodily integrity such as abuse, rape, war and natural disasters. There may be a genetic component as there is an increased incidence in relatives of people with the condition.

Prevalence

There is no agreement on the prevalence of dissociative disorders, although they appear to be relatively rare.

Amended May 2009