Clinical features of dissociative schizophrenia in China

Abstract

The authors conducted 50 clinical interviews on inpatients with clinical diagnoses of schizophrenia at Shanghai Mental Health Center. A dissociative type of schizophrenia was identified in 22% of the 50 cases. Diagnostic criteria for the proposed dissociative type of schizophrenia are that an individual meets at least three of six criteria: dissociative amnesia; depersonalization; the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states; auditory hallucinations; extensive comorbidity; and severe childhood trauma. According to the authors’ model, psychotherapy is a primary treatment model for this subtype of schizophrenia. Five cases are presented that illustrate the features of dissociative schizophrenia, and a proposal is made for conducting randomized, prospective treatment outcome studies in a variety of cultures and languages.

Keywords:

• dissociative disorders
• schizophrenia
• psychological trauma
• psychotherapy