HYPNOTIZABILITY AND DISSOCIATIVITY IN SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS

Research on the relation between hypnotizability and clinical dissocia tion has led to contradictory findings. Measures of hypnotizability an d dissociation are only weakly correlated in general population sample s, but studies of posttraumatic stress and dissociative disorders pati ents have found elevated levels of clinical dissociation and hypnotiza bility respectively. This study assesses the relationships among hypno tizability, clinical dissociation and traumatic antecedents in 54 sexu ally abused girls, ages 6-15 years, and 51 matched controls. Hypnotiza bility was assessed on initial evaluation and again in matched subsamp les at one year using the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale for Childre n. Clinical dissociation was assessed using the Child Dissociative Che cklist. Abuse variables were extracted from Child Protective Services reports. There were no significant differences in hypnotizability betw een abuse and control subjects. There were significant differences in clinical dissociation initially and on 1-year retest. Hypnotizability and clinical dissociation were only weakly correlated (r(105) = .118, p = NS). However, in the abuse group, highly hypnotizable subjects wer e significantly more dissociative. Higher levels of clinical dissociat ion were associated with abuse by multiple perpetrators and co-presenc e of physical abuse independent of the sexual abuse. A small subgroup of ''double dissociative'' subjects, high in both hypnotizability and dissociativity, was identified. Double dissociation was associated wit h multiple perpetrators and earlier onset of sexual abuse.