OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF PERITRAUMATIC DISSOCIATION - PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate psychophysiologi cal changes associated with peritraumatic dissociation in female victi ms of recent rape and to assess the relation between these changes and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method: Eighty-five rape victims were examined in a laboratory setting within 2 weeks aft er the rape, and measures of heart rate, skin conductance, and nonspec ific movement were collected. Self-report indexes of reactions to the trauma and interviews to assess PTSD symptoms and peritraumatic dissoc iation were also completed. On the basis of their scores on the Peritr aumatic Dissociation Index, the subjects were classified as having low or high levels of dissociation. Results: Items from the index exhibit ed good internal consistency, and scores were approximately normally d istributed. Individuals in the high peritraumatic dissociation group s howed a significantly different pattern of physiological responses fro m those of the low dissociation group. In general, there was a suppres sion of autonomic physiological responses in the high dissociation gro up. This group also contained a larger proportion of subjects (94%) id entified as meeting PTSD symptom criteria. Also, among the high dissoc iation subjects there was a discrepancy between self-reports of distre ss and objective physiological indicators of distress in the laborator y setting. Conclusions: The results provide preliminary support for th e idea that there is a dissociative subtype of persons with PTSD sympt oms who exhibit diminished physiological reactivity. The results also underscore the importance of assessing dissociative symptoms in trauma survivors.