HYPNOSIS, CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, AND DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER - TOWARD AN INTEGRATIVE THEORY

It is contended that prevailing exogenous trauma theory provides in mo st cases neither a sufficient nor a necessary explanation for the curr ent large number of diagnosed cases of dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder) and related dissociative syndromes pur ported to have arisen as a response to severe early childhood physical and sexual abuse. Relevant aspects of instinctual drive theory, ego p sychology, object relations theory, self psychology, social psychologi cal theory, sociocultural influences, and experimental hypnosis findin gs are drawn on to demonstrate the importance of adopting a more integ rative theoretical perspective in the diagnosis and treatment of sever e dissociative syndromes. Further cooperative experimental and clinica l research on the etiology, prevalence, and clinical manifestations of the group of dissociative disorders is strongly encouraged.