DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN MULTIPLE PERSONALITY-DISORDER (DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER) AND SCHIZOPHRENIA USING THE STRUCTURED CLINICAL INTERVIEW FOR DSM-IV DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

The authors describe the systematic assessment of dissociative symptom s using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Diso rders (SCID-D) in 50 psychiatric outpatients with a referring DSM-III- R diagnosis of either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N = 3 1) and subjects with multiple personality disorder (MPD [DSM-IV name c hange: dissociative identity disorder]; N = 19). Results indicate that patients with MPD experience significantly higher scores for five spe cific dissociative symptoms than patients with schizophrenia or schizo affective disorder. The range, severity, and nature of the five dissoc iative symptom areas evaluated by the SCID-D distinguish MPD from the occasional occurrence of dissociative symptoms which may be seen in sc hizophrenia. Systematic assessment of dissociative symptoms using the SCID-D can assist in accurate differential diagnosis of MPD and schizo phrenia.