The dissociative experiences of borderline patients

The study objective was to assess the severity and quality of dissociative experiences reported by borderline patients. Two hundred ninety criteria-de fined borderline patients and 72 axis II controls completed the Dissociativ e Experiences Scale (DES), a 28-item self-report measure with demonstrated reliability and validity. Thirty-two percent of borderline patients had a l ow level of dissociation, 42% a moderate level, and 26% a high level simila r to that reported by patients meeting criteria for posttraumatic stress di sorder (PTSD) or dissociative disorders. The controls had a significantly d ifferent distribution of overall DES scores: 71% reported a low level of di ssociation, 26% reported a moderate level, and only 3% reported a high leve l. In addition, borderline patients had a significantly higher score than t he controls on 21 of 28 DES items and a significantly higher overall DES sc ore, as well as the score on the 3 factors that have been found to underlie the DES, absorption, amnesia, and depersonalization. The results of this s tudy suggest that the severity of dissociation experienced by borderline pa tients is more heterogeneous than previously reported. They also suggest th at borderline patients have a wider range of dissociative experiences than are commonly recognized, including experiences of absorption and amnesia, a s well as experiences of depersonalization. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saun ders Company.