Dissociation Scales
Dissociation is defined as a disruption in the usually integrative functions of consciousness, memory, identity and / or perception (DSM-IV-TR, page 519). Clinical research has consistently found that a high level of dissociation is significantly associated with major psychopathology. In some instances, this takes the form of a DSM-defined dissociative disorder. In other instances, the dissociation is associated with another DSM diagnosis such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Somatization Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder or Acute Stress Disorder. High levels of dissociation have also been repeatedly found to be associated with antecedent experiences of trauma and life-threatening experiences.
It is important to screen for dissociation in psychiatric patients and traumatized individuals as the presence of a high level of dissociation may inform clinical care, as well as help to identify an unrecognized dissociative disorder that requires specialized treatment.
Three empirically validated dissociation scales together with supporting documentation are available. The Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center supports the use of these scales. These scales are:
- The Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC), a 20-item parent / observer report measure for children ages 5-12 years (Putnam et al., 1990).
- The Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES), a 30-item self-report measure for ages 12-18 years (Armstrong, Putnam, & Carlson, 1990).
- The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a 28-item self-report measure for ages 18 years and above (Carlson & Putnam, 1993).
These three scales are offered as clinical screening instruments and as research tools. They do not make a formal diagnosis of any dissociative disorder or of a traumatic experience such as child abuse. High scores should be interpreted in the context of other clinical information. Formal diagnosis of a dissociative disorder requires either the competent administration of a validated diagnostic interview such as the SCID-D or clinical judgment.
Copyright Restrictions
These scales are public domain documents and may be freely reproduced and distributed without copyright restrictions. We only ask that you not alter the item wording or content or the response format and then distribute the modified version under the original name. Please rename any modifications of these scales so that others will not be confused or mistakenly believe that the empirical validation of the original scales applies to your modified instrument. Any modification of these scales should be considered to be a new scale and must be independently validated.
Additional Information
For additional information about the three dissociation scales, please email Lisa Connelly at Cincinnati Children's, lisa.connelly@cchmc.org.
