An examination of the diagnostic validity of dissociative identity disorder

We review the empirical evidence for the validity of the Dissociative Ident ity Disorder (DID) diagnosis, the vast majority of which has come from rese arch conducted within the last 10 years. After reviewing three different gu idelines to establish diagnostic validity, we conclude that considerable co nverging evidence supports the inclusion of DID in the current Diagnostic a nd Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders. For instance, DID appears to me et all of the guidelines for inclusion and none of the exclusion guidelines ; proposed by Blashfield et al. [Comprehensive Psychiatry 31 (1990) 15-19] and it is one of the few disorders currently supported by taxometric resear ch. However, we also discuss possible problems with the current diagnostic criteria and offer recommendations, based on recent research, for possible revisions to these criteria. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.